<s>[INST] Sum of First $n$ Squares Equals $\frac{n(n+1)(2n+1)}{6}$ I am just starting into calculus and I have a question about the following statement I encountered while learning about definite integrals:
$$\sum_{k=1}^n k^2 = \frac{n(n+1)(2n+1)}{6}$$
I really have no idea why this statement is true. Can someone please explain why this is true and if possible show how to arrive at one given the other?
 [/INST] Another method by using telescoping sum :-
 We know $(a+b)^3-a^3-b^3=3ab(a+b)$ , take 
$a=k-1 , b=2$ , then $a+b=k+1$ and $(k+1)^3-(k-1)^3-2^3=6(k-1)(k+1)=6k^2-6$ , 
hence $(k+1)^3-(k-1)^3-8+6=(k+1)^3-k^3+k^3-(k-1)^3-2=6k^2$ , taking sum over $k$ 
from $1$ to $n$ we get , $\sum_{k=1}^n [(k+1)^3-k^3] + \sum_{k=1}^n [k^3-(k-1)^3] -\sum_{k=1}^n 2 = 6 \sum_{k=1}^nk^2$ , the first 
sum on the left hand side is telescoping resulting in $(n+1)^3-1$ , the second sum is also telescoping resulting in $n^3-(1-1)^3=n^3$ , and the third sum is simply $2n$ , hence 
$6 \sum_{k=1}^nk^2=(n+1)^3-1+n^3-2n=2n^3+3n^2+n=n(n+1)(2n+1)$  
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