<s>[INST] Integral as a limit of a sum How do I get 
$$
\int_a^b \frac{1}{x}dx = \ln\left(\frac{b}{a}\right)$$
 as a limit of sum. The constant width partition of the interval $(a,b)$ doesn't seem to work.
 [/INST] $$\int _a^b {f(t) dt}=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(b-a)}{n}\sum \limits_{k=1}^n f(\frac{k(b-a)}{n}+a)$$
$$\int _a^b \frac{1}{t} dt=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(b-a)}{n}\sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{n}{k(b-a)+na}=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(b-a)}{1}\sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{1}{k(b-a)+na}$$
$$\int _a^b \frac{1}{t} dt=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(b-a)}{n}\sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{n}{k(b-a)+na}=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{(b-a)}{(b-a)}\sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{1}{k+\frac{na}{b-a}}$$
$$\int _a^b \frac{1}{t} dt=\lim_{n\to\infty} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{1}{k+\frac{n}{(b/a)-1}}$$
$b/a=x$
$$f(x-1)=\int _a^b \frac{1}{t} dt=\lim_{n\to\infty} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{1}{k+\frac{n}{x-1}}$$
$$f(x)=\lim_{n\to\infty} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{1}{k+\frac{n}{x}}$$
$$f(x)=\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac{x}{n} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n \frac{1}{1+\frac{kx}{n}}=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x}{n} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n (1-\frac{kx}{n}+\frac{k^2x^2}{n^2}-\frac{k^3x^3}{n^3}+....)=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x}{n} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n 1 -\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^2}{n^2} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n k+\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^3}{n^3} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n k^2-\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^4}{n^4} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n k^3+.....$$
$$f(x)=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x}{n} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n 1 -\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^2}{n^2} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n k+\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^3}{n^3} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n k^2-\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^4}{n^4} \sum \limits_{k=1}^n k^3+.....=\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x}{n} n -\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^2}{n^2} (\frac{n^2}{2}+\frac{n}{2})+\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^3}{n^3}   (\frac{n^3}{3}+\frac{n^2}{2}+\frac{n}{6})-\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x^4}{n^4}(\frac{n^4}{4}+\frac{n^3}{2}+\frac{n^2}{4})+....$$

$$\sum \limits_{k=1}^{n}   k^m=\frac{n^{m+1}}{m+1}+a_mn^m+....+a_1n=\frac{n^{m+1}}{m+1}+\sum \limits_{j=1}^m a_jn^j$$  where $a_j$ are constants.where aj are constants. More information about summation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summation

After solving limits. We get:
$$f(x)=\frac{x}{1} -\frac{x^2}{2} + \frac{x^3}{3} - \frac{x^4}{4}+ ....=\sum \limits_{k=1}^{\infty} (-1)^{k+1} \frac{x^k}{k}=\ln(x+1)$$
$$f(x-1)=\ln(x)$$
$b/a=x$
$$\int _a^b \frac{1}{t} dt=f(x-1)=\ln(x)=\ln(b/a)$$
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