trapezoidal rule

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a numerical method for evaluating the area between a curve and an axis by approximating the area with the areas of trapezoids.

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Example Sentences

The trapezoidal rule for estimating definite integrals uses trapezoids rather than rectangles to approximate the area under a curve.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Use the trapezoidal rule with four subdivisions to estimate ∫ 0.8x3 dx.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Figure 3.15 The trapezoidal rule tends to be less accurate than the midpoint rule.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Before continuing, let’s make a few observations about the trapezoidal rule.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Use the trapezoidal rule to estimate ∫ 1x2 dx using four subintervals.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016