Arkansas Tech University

MATH 1203: Trigonometry

Dr. Marcel B. Finan
19 Sum and Dierence Identities
In this section, you will learn how to apply identities involving the sum or
dierence of two variables.
Formulas for sin (x +y) and sin (x y)
Let x and y be two angles as shown in Figure 19.1.
Figure 19.1
Let A be the point on the xaxis such that |OA| = 1. From A drop the
perpendicular to the terminal side of x. From B drop the perpendicular to
the xaxis. Then
Area OAB = Area OAC + AreaOCB.
But
Area OAC =
1
2
|OC||AC| =
1
2
sin x cos x.
Area OCB =
1
2
|OC||BC| =
1
2
|OB|
2
sin y cos y.
Area OAB =
1
2
|BD||OA| =
1
2
|OB| sin (x +y).
Hence,
1
2
|OB| sin (x +y) =
1
2
sin x cos x +
1
2
|OB|
2
sin y cos y.
1
Mutliplying both sides by
2
|OB|
and using the fact that |OB| =
cos x
cos y
one
obtains the addition formula for the sine function:
sin (x +y) = sin x cos y + cos x sin y.
To nd the dierence formula for the sine function we proceed as follows:
sin (x y) =sin (x + (y))
=sin x cos (y) + cos x sin (y)
=sin x cos y cos x sin y
where we use the fact that the sine function is odd and the cosine function
is even.
Example 19.1
Find the exact value of sin 75

.
Solution.
Notice rst that 75

= 30

+ 45

. Thus,
sin 75

=sin (45

+ 30

)
=sin 45

cos 30

+ cos 45

sin 30

2
2

3
2
+

2
2

1
2
=

6 +

2
4
Example 19.2
Find the exact value of sin

12
.
Solution.
Since

12
=

4


3
, the dierence formula for sine gives
sin

12
=sin (

4


6
)
=sin

4
cos

6
cos

4
sin

6
=

2
2

3
2

2
2

1
2
=

2
4
2
Example 19.3
Show that cos (

2
x) = sin x using the dierence formula of the sine func-
tion.
Solution.
Since the sine function is an odd function, we can write
sin x = sin (x) = sin [(

2
x)

2
]
= [sin (

2
x) cos (

2
) cos (

2
x) sin (

2
)]
=cos (

2
x)
Theorem 19.1 (Cofunctions Identities)
For any angle x, measured in radians, we have
sin (

2
x) = cos x cos (

2
x) = sin x
sec (

2
x) = csc x csc (

2
x) = sec x
tan (

2
x) = cot x cot (

2
x) = tan x
Proof.
Recall that sin (

2
) = 1 and cos (

2
) = 0. Thus,
sin (

2
x) =sin (

2
) cos x cos (

2
) sin x = cos x
cos (

2
x) =sin x (See Example 19.3)
sec (

2
x) =
1
cos (

2
x)
=
1
sin x
= csc x
csc (

2
x) =
1
sin (

2
x)
=
1
cos x
= sec x
tan (

2
x) =
sin (

2
x)
cos (

2
x)
=
cos x
sin x
= cot x
cot (

2
x) =
1
tan (

2
x)
=
1
cot x
= tan x
Formulas for cos (x +y) and cos (x y)
Since sin x and cos x are cofunctions of each other, we have
3
cos (x +y) =sin (

2
(x +y)) = sin

2
x) y

=sin (

2
x) cos y cos (

2
x) sin y
=cos x cos y sin x sin y
For the dierence formula we have
cos (x y) =cos (x + (y))
=cos x cos (y) sin x sin (y)
=cos x cos y + sin x sin y
where we have used the fact that the sine function is odd and the cosine is
even.
Example 19.4
Find the exact value of cos
7
12
.
Solution.
We have
cos
7
12
=cos (

4
+

3
)
=cos

4
cos

3
sin

4
sin

3
=

2
2

1
2

2
2

3
2
=

6
4
Example 19.5
Find the exact value of: sin 42

cos 12

cos 42

sin 12

.
Solution.
sin 42

cos 12

cos 42

sin 12

= sin (42

12

) = sin 30

=
1
2
Example 19.6
Suppose that and are both in the third quadrant and that sin =

3
2
and sin =
1
2
. Determine the value of cos ( +).
4
Solution.
Since and are in the third quadrant, we have cos =

1 sin
2
=
1
2
and cos =

1 sin
2
=

3
2
. Thus,
cos ( +) = cos cos sin sin
= (
1
2
)(

3
2
) (

3
2
)(
1
2
) = 0
Formulas for tan (x +y) and tan (x y)
Using the sum formulas for the sine and the cosine functions we have
tan (x +y) =
sin (x +y)
cos (x +y)
=
sin x cos y + cos x sin y
cos x cos y sin x sin y
=
sin xcos y
cos xcos y
+
cos xsin y
cos xcos y
1
sin xsin y
cos xcos y
=
tan x + tan y
1 tan x tan y
For the dierence formula we have
tan (x y) =tan (x + (y)) =
tan x + tan (y)
1 tan x tan (y)
=
tan x tan y
1 + tan x tan y
since tan (x) = tan x.
Example 19.7
Establish the identity: tan ( +) = tan .
Solution.
We have tan ( +) =
tan +tan
1tan tan
= tan since tan = 0.
5