Proving Trigonometric Identities (page 1 of 3)

Proving an identity is very different in concept from solving an equation. Though you'll use many of the same techniques, they are not the same, and the differences are what can cause you problems. An "identity" is a tautology, an equation or statement that is always true, no matter what. For instance,sin(x) = 1/csc(x) is an identity. To "prove" an identity, you have to use logical steps to show that one side of the equation can be transformed into the other side of the equation. You do not plug values into the identity to "prove" anything. There are infinitely-many values you can plug in. Are you really going to "prove" anything by listing three or four values where the two sides of the equation are equal? Of course not. And sometimes you'll be given an equation which is not an identity. If you plug a value in where the two sides happen to be equal, such as /4 for the (false) identity sin(x) = cos(x), you could fool yourself into thinking that a mere equation is an identity. You'll have shot yourself in the foot. So let's don't do that. To prove an identity, your instructor may have told you that you cannot work on both sides of the equation at the same time. This is correct. You can work on both sides together for a regular equation, because you're trying to find where the equation is true. When you are working with an identity, if you work on both sides and work down to where the sides are equal, you will only have shown that, if the starting equation is true, then you can arrive at another true equation. But you won't have proved, logically, that the original equation was actually true. Since you'll be working with two sides of an equation, it might be helpful to introduce some notation, if you haven't seen it before. The "left-hand side" of an equation is denoted by LHS, and the "right-hand side" is denoted as RHS.

Prove the identity It's usually a safe bet to start working on the side that appears to be more complicated. In this case, that would be the LHS. Another safe bet is to convert things to sines and cosines, and see where that leads. So my first step will be to convert the cotangent and cosecant into their alternative expressions:

Now I'll flip-n-multiply:

Now I can see that the sines cancel, leaving me with:

Then my proof of the identity is all of these steps, put together:

That final string of equations is what they're wanting for your answer. Prove the identity I'm not sure which side is more complicated, so I'll just start on the left. My first step is to convert everything to sines and cosines: Copyright Elizabeth Stapel 2010-2011 All Rights Reserved

When I get fractions, it's almost always a good idea to get a common denominator, so I'll do that next:

Now that I have a common denominator, I can combine these fractions into one:

Now I notice a Pythagorean identity in the numerator, allowing me to simplify:

Looking back at the RHS of the original identity, I notice that this denominator could be helpful. I'll split the product into two fractions:

And now I can finish up by converting these fractions to their reciprocal forms:

(I wrote them in the reverse order, to match the RHS.) The complete answer is all of the steps together, starting with the LHS and ending up with the RHS:

Prove the identity sin

(x) cos4(x) = 2sin2(x) 1

I can't tell which side is more complicated, but I do see a difference of squares on the LHS, so I think I'll start there.

sin4(x) cos4(x) = (sin2(x) + cos2(x))(sin2(x) cos2(x))

The first factor, sin
2

(x) + cos2(x), is always equal to 1, so I can ignore it. This leaves me with:

sin2(x) cos2(x)
Hmm... I'm not seeing much of anything here. But I do know, glancing back at the RHS of the identity, that I need more sines and fewer cosines. I think I'll try using the Pythagorean identity 2 2 that simplified that first factor, but in a slightly different form. If sin (x) + cos (x) = 1, 2 2 then cos (x) = 1 sin (x), and:

sin2(x) cos2(x) = sin2(x) (1 sin2(x)) = sin2(x) 1 + sin2(x) = 2sin2(x) 1

And that's what I needed. For my hand-in work, I'll put it all together:

sin4(x) cos4(x) = (sin2(x) + cos2(x))(sin2(x) cos2(x)) = 1(sin2(x) cos2(x)) = sin2(x) cos2(x) = sin2(x) (1 sin2(x)) = sin2(x) 1 + sin2(x) = sin2(x) + sin2(x) 1 = 2sin2(x) 1
Prove the identity (1

cos2())(1 + cos2()) = 2sin2() sin4()

I think I'll start by multiplying out the LHS:

1 cos2() + cos2() cos4() = 1 cos4()

That doesn't seem to have gotten me anywhere. What if I apply the Pythagorean identity to that first factor? Then I'll get:

(1 cos2())(1 + cos2()) = sin2()[1 + cos2()]

Hmm... That doesn't seem to have helped, either. Okay, what happens if I work on the other side? I can factor a squared sine out of the two terms:

sin2()[2 sin2()] Copyright Elizabeth Stapel 2010-2011 All Rights Reserved

If I break off a 1 from the 2, I can use that same Pythagorean identity again. (I think I'm detecting a theme....)

sin2()[1 sin2() + 1] = sin2()[1 sin2() + sin2() + cos2()] = sin2()[1 + cos2()]

Wait a minute! That's the same thing I ended up with on the LHS! Aha! While what I've done so far is not a proof, I have managed to get the two sides to meet in the middle. And sometimes that seems to be the only way to do a proof: work on the two sides until they meet in the middle, and then write something that looks like magic. I'm going to start with the LHS, work down to where the two sides meet, and then work up the RHS until I get back to the original identity:

(1 cos2())(1 + cos2()) = sin2()[1 + cos2()] = sin2()[1 + cos2() sin2() + sin2()] = sin2()[1 sin2() + sin2() + cos2()] = sin2()[1 sin2() + 1] = sin2()[2 sin2()] = 2sin2() sin4()
This is how the textbook authors come up with those magical proofs, where you wonder how on earth they ever came up with one or another of the steps. There will be times you'll need to do this. But, for your hand-in work, make sure you do the work the right way: Work down one side to the meeting place, and then hop over to the other side and work back up to the starting place. Only by showing your steps in that way will your proof be valid. Prove the identity sin
2

()sec2() + sin2()csc2() = sec2()

Clearly, the LHS is the more complicated side, so I'll start there, and will convert everything to sines and cosines:

The first fraction simplifies to the tangent, and the second fraction simplifies to 1.

What I'm left with is one of the Pythagorean identities:

tan2() + 1 = sec2()
...and that's what I needed to end up with. Putting it all together:

In addition to the "working on the more complicated side" and the "converting to sines and cosines" tricks, there is one other trick that hardly ever comes up, but you might want to be familiar with it.... When you were back in algebra, you rationalized complex and radical denominators by multiplying by the conjugate; that is, by the same values, but with the opposite sign in the middle. If the denominator was a complex value, like 3 + 4i, you would rationalize by multiplying, top and bottom, by 3 4i. In this way, you'd create a difference of squares, and the "i" terms would drop out, leaving you with the rational 2 denominator 9 12i + 12i 16i = 9 16(1) = 9 + 16 = 25. Every once in a very great while, you'll need to do something similar in other contexts, such as the following:

Prove the identity This is just a mess! The only stuff I have with 1's in them are the Pythagorean identities, and they have squared stuff in them. So they won't work here. But what will happen if I multiply the LHS, top and bottom, by the "conjugate" of the denominator? The denominator can be stated as [sin() + cos()] 1; then the conjugate would be [sin() + cos()] + 1. I'll multiply the bottom by this; since this creates a difference of squares, the result is:

[sin() + cos()]2 1 = sin2() + 2sin()cos() + cos2() 1

The two squared terms simplify to just 1, so I get:

sin2() + cos2() + 2sin()cos() 1 1 + 2sin()cos() 1 2sin()cos() Copyright Elizabeth Stapel 2010-2011 All Rights Reserved
Now for the numerator. Just as when I was working with complexes and radicals back in algebra, the multiplication across the top is going to get pretty nasty!

Well, while the denominator sure simplified, I've still got some work to do with the numerator. I'll move the sine out in front of the squared terms, and then restate the 1 using the Pythagorean identity:

2sin() + sin2() cos2() + 1 2sin() + sin2() cos2() + sin2() + cos2() 2sin() + 2sin2()
...because the squared cosine terms cancelled out. So this is my fraction for the LHS:

I can factor and then cancel:

Don't expect always, or even usually, to be able to "see" the solution when you start. Be willing to try different things. If one attempt isn't working, try a different approach. Identities usually work out, if you give yourself enough time.