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?

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 
$6 \sum_{k=1}^nk^2=(n+1)^3-1+n^3-2n=2n^3+3n^2+n=n(n+1)(2n+1)$  
