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In Mathematics / High School | 2025-07-03

What is the sum of the first 200 odd natural numbers?

[tex]S_{200} =[/tex]

Asked by Loverchildbee

Answer (2)

Represent the sum of the first 200 odd natural numbers as S 200 ​ = ∑ n = 1 200 ​ ( 2 n − 1 ) .
Rewrite the sum using linearity: S 200 ​ = 2 ∑ n = 1 200 ​ n − ∑ n = 1 200 ​ 1 .
Apply the formula for the sum of the first n natural numbers and the sum of a constant: S 200 ​ = 2 ( 2 200 ( 201 ) ​ ) − 200 .
Calculate the final result: S 200 ​ = 40200 − 200 = 40000 ​ .

Explanation

Problem Analysis We are asked to find the sum of the first 200 odd natural numbers. Let's denote this sum as S 200 ​ .

Expressing the Sum The n -th odd natural number can be represented as 2 n − 1 . Therefore, the sum of the first 200 odd natural numbers can be written as: S 200 ​ = n = 1 ∑ 200 ​ ( 2 n − 1 )

Splitting the Sum We can use the properties of summation to split this into two separate sums: S 200 ​ = 2 n = 1 ∑ 200 ​ n − n = 1 ∑ 200 ​ 1

Sum of First n Natural Numbers We know that the sum of the first n natural numbers is given by the formula: i = 1 ∑ n ​ i = 2 n ( n + 1 ) ​ In our case, n = 200 , so: n = 1 ∑ 200 ​ n = 2 200 ( 200 + 1 ) ​ = 2 200 × 201 ​ = 100 × 201 = 20100

Sum of 1 repeated n times The sum of 1, 200 times, is simply 200: n = 1 ∑ 200 ​ 1 = 200

Calculating the Final Sum Now, substitute these results back into the expression for S 200 ​ :
S 200 ​ = 2 ( 20100 ) − 200 = 40200 − 200 = 40000

Final Answer Therefore, the sum of the first 200 odd natural numbers is 40000.


Alternatively, we can use the formula for the sum of the first n odd natural numbers, which is n 2 . In this case, n = 200 , so the sum is 20 0 2 = 40000 .
Examples
Understanding the sum of odd numbers has practical applications in various fields. For instance, consider tiling a square area with smaller square tiles. If you start with a single tile (1x1), then add a layer of 3 tiles to make a 2x2 square, then add a layer of 5 tiles to make a 3x3 square, and so on, the total number of tiles you've used at each stage is the sum of consecutive odd numbers. Knowing that the sum of the first n odd numbers is n 2 allows you to quickly calculate the number of tiles needed to form a larger square without counting each tile individually. This concept is useful in construction, design, and even in certain computer algorithms.

Answered by GinnyAnswer | 2025-07-03

The sum of the first 200 odd natural numbers is 40000 . This can be calculated using the formula for the sum of the first n odd numbers, n 2 , where n = 200 . Alternatively, it can also be computed using summation notation and properties of summation, yielding the same result.
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Answered by Anonymous | 2025-07-04