Newton-Cotes Integration Formulas

𝑏 𝑏
Replacing a complicated function or tabulated data with
𝐼 = න 𝑓 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 ≅ න 𝑓𝑛 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 an approximating function that is easy to integrate
𝑎 𝑎
Where:
𝑓𝑛 𝑥 = 𝑎𝑜 + 𝑎1 𝑥 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑥 𝑛−1 + 𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 Approximating function

• Trapezoidal Rule
• Simpson’s 1/3 Rule
• Simpson’s 3/8 Rule
The Trapezoidal Rule
𝑓𝑛 𝑥 = 𝑎𝑜 + 𝑎1 𝑥 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑥 𝑛−1 + 𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛
Become: 𝑓1 𝑥 = 𝑎𝑜 + 𝑎1 𝑥
𝑓 𝑏 −𝑓 𝑎
𝑓1 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑎 + 𝑥−𝑎
𝑏−𝑎
To get the area below the dashed line (𝐼)

𝑏
𝑓 𝑏 −𝑓 𝑎
𝐼=න 𝑓 𝑎 + 𝑥 − 𝑎 𝑑𝑥
𝑎 𝑏−𝑎

𝑓 𝑎 +𝑓 𝑏
𝐼 = (𝑏 − 𝑎) (The Trapezoidal Formula or Rule)
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The Trapezoidal Rule

Or, geometrically

So

𝐼 ≅ 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ × 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑓 𝑎 +𝑓 𝑏

𝐼 ≅ 𝑏 − 𝑎 × 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = (𝑏 − 𝑎)
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