Summation
Summation
Summation (pronunciation: /sʌˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/) is a mathematical term that refers to the process of adding a sequence of numbers or quantities together. The term is derived from the Latin word "summa", which means "the highest" or "the total".
Etymology
The term "summation" comes from the Latin word "summa", which means "the highest" or "the total". It was first used in the mathematical context in the 15th century.
Definition
In mathematics, summation is the addition of a sequence of any kind of numbers, called addends or summands; the result is their sum or total. If the sequence of addends is finite, the result is a finite number; if the sequence of addends is infinite, the result is often an infinite sum.
Related Terms
- Addend: An addend is a number that is added to another number.
- Summand: A summand is a number or a quantity that is added to another in the process of summation.
- Infinite Sum: An infinite sum is the sum of an infinite sequence of numbers.
- Finite Number: A finite number is a number that is not infinite, i.e., it has a definite, fixed value.
- Sequence: In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters.
Usage
The symbol for summation is the capital Greek letter Sigma (Σ). When used in a mathematical equation, it indicates that the numbers following the symbol should be summed together.
For example, the summation of the first four natural numbers can be represented as:
Σ (from n=1 to 4) of n = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Summation
- Wikipedia's article - Summation
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