Let be a bounded function, with . A partition of an interval is ; its mesh of a partition is . Choose arbitrary tags . The corresponding Riemann sum isThe Riemann sum convergence theorem says that is Riemann integrable with Riemann integral if and only if, for every , some satisfiesfor every partition of an interval with and every permitted choice of tags. Equivalently, along every sequence of such tagged partitions of an interval with mesh of a partition tending to zero, the Riemann sums tend to . Both the shrinking mesh of a partition and freedom of tags are essential.
We verify that the augmented partition of an interval in part i has vanishing mesh of a partition. Define for . Its derivative isSince for , we have . The mean value theorem therefore givesThe appended interval has length , so for the augmented partition of an interval.
The sine is continuous, hence Riemann integrable on . By the Riemann sum convergence theorem, , using the fundamental theorem of calculus and the cosine antiderivative. As , the answer is
For , choose the uniform partition of an interval into pieces and its midpoint tagsTheir arithmetic mean is exactly . Apply the given Jensen inequality with equal weights :Multiplying by gives a midpoint Riemann sum on the left. Its mesh of a partition is , so the Riemann sum convergence theorem givesFor the equality is immediate. Together with part i, this is the Hermite-Hadamard inequality with the directions appropriate to a concave function.
Riemann sum convergence theorem 2026-10-25
For a bounded function on a fixed closed interval, Riemann integrability with Riemann integral is equivalent to convergence of all tagged Riemann sums to as the mesh of a partition tends to zero. Precisely, for every there is such that every partition of an interval of mesh less than , with any tags in the corresponding closed subintervals, has its Riemann sum within of .