Determine the sum of the squares of the first four natural numbers:
$\sum_{k=1}^{4} \cdot k^{2}$
The sum of the squares of the first four natural numbers is \(\boxed{30}\).
Step 1 :The problem is asking for the sum of the squares of the first four natural numbers.
Step 2 :This can be solved by squaring each of the first four natural numbers and then adding them together.
Step 3 :The first four natural numbers are 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Step 4 :So, we need to calculate \(1^2 + 2^2 + 3^2 + 4^2\).
Step 5 :The sum of the squares of the first four natural numbers is \(\boxed{30}\).