1.

INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

1.1

Inverse trigonometric functions and their graph.

1.1.1

Defining the inverses

The six basic trigonometric functions are not one-to-one (their value repeat) but we can restrict
their domains to intervals on which they are one-to-one.
Function

Domain

Range

-------------------------------------------------------------
, ]
2 2

sinx

cosx

[0, ]

tanx

cotx

[0, ]

secx

[0, ] [ , ]
2
2

cscx

[-1,1]
[-1,1]

, ]
2 2

( , )
( , )
( ,1] [1, )

,0] [0, ]
2
2

( ,1] [1, )

Since these restricted functions are now one-to-one, they have inverses, which we denote by
y sin 1 x,

1.1.2

y cos 1 x,

y tan 1 x

y cot 1 x,

Graph of sin 1 x, cos 1 x, tan 1 x

y sec 1 x,

y csc 1 x

y = sin-1x

y = cos-1x

Y = tan-1x

Domain = [-1,1]

Domain = [-1,-1]

Domain = ( , )

Range = [
[

, ]
2 2

Range = [0, ]

Range =

, ]
2 2

Example 1
Common values of sin 1 x
x
3
2
2
2

1
2
1

2
2
2
3

sin 1 x

The angle come from the first and fourth quadrants because the range of sin 1 x is [

Example 2
Common values of cos 1 x

, ]
2 2

x
3
2
2
2

cos 1 x

1
2
1

2
2
2
3

The angle come from the first and second quadrants because the range of cos 1 x is [0, ]
Example 3
Common values of tan 1 x
x

tan 1 x

1
3
3
3

-1

The angle come from the first and fourth quadrants because the range of tan 1 x is [

Example 4
Find cos , tan , sec and cot if sin 1

2
3

, ]
2 2

Answer: (

5 2
3 3
5
,
,
, ,
)
3
5
5 2 2

Example 5

1
csc 1 ( 2)
Find cot sec

Answer: (

1
3

Example 6

x
3

Find sec tan

Answer: (

9 x2
)
3

Example 7 (October 2004)

1 1
Evaluate cos 2 tan
x

Answer: (

x2 1
)
1 x2

Exercise 1
( page 511, Thomas & Finey )
1.

Given that sin 1 (5 / 13), find cos , tan , sec , csc and cot .

2.

Given that tan 1 ( 4 / 3), find sin , cos , sec , csc and cot .

3.

Evaluate:
a) sin(cos 1

1.2

2
)
2

c)

1
tan(sin 1 )
2

e)

csc(sec 1 2) cos(tan 1 ( 3 ))

1
b) sec(cos 1 )
2
d)

cot(sin 1
f)

3
)
2

tan(sec 1 1) sin(csc 1 ( 2))

Identities and simplifying expression involving trigonometric function.

Refer Howard Anton, sixth edition page 264 & manual Mat 215, page 29

Example 1
Simplify the function cos(sin-1x) using identity cos 2 y cos 2 y 1
Ans : 1 x 2

Example 2
Simplify the function sec2(tan-1x) using identity 1 tan 2 y sec 2 y
Ans : 1 x 2

1.3

Differentiation of inverse trigonometric functions

Theorem
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

d(sin 1 x )

dx

1 x2
d(cos 1 x )
1

dx
1 x2
d(tan 1 x )
1

dx
1 x2
d(cot 1 x )
1

dx
1 x2
d(sec 1 x )
1

dx
x x2 1
d(csc 1 x )
1

dx
x x2 1

Proof 1
Let y sin 1 x
x sin y
dy
1 cos y
dx

Proof 2
Let y cos 1 x
cosy x
dy
- siny
1
dx

Let u be a differentiable function of x. The generalizes derivatives formulas by applying chain

rule are as follows:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

d(sin 1 u)

dx

du
,
1 u dx
2

d(cos 1 u)
1
du

,
dx
1 u 2 dx
d(tan 1 u)
1 du

dx
1 u 2 dx
1
d(cot u)
1 du

dx
1 u 2 dx
d(sec 1 u)
1
du

,
dx
u u 2 1 dx
d(csc 1 u)
1
du

,
2
dx
u u 1 dx

u 1
u 1

u 1
u 1

Example 1

a)

d
sin 1 ( x 2 )
dx

b)

d
tan 1 x 1
dx

Answer:

2x
1 x 4

Answer:
(

c)

d
sec 1 ( 3 x )
dx

1
2 x 1( x 2)

Ans: (

1
x

9x 2 1

Example 2
1

e tan x
1 x 2 dx

Ans : e 1
Refer example 9,10,11 manual MAT 215 page 31. Exercise 3.1 page 33.
1.4

Integral involving inverse trigonometric functions

Integration formulas
The following formulas hold for any constant a 0
1.

2.

3.

du
a u
2

sin 1

u
c
a

du
1
u
tan 1 c
2
a
a
u
du
u a
2

1
u
sec 1 c
a
a

Example 1

e tan x
1 x 2 dx

Ans : e 1

Example 2

a)

dx

1 x2

dx

b)

1 x

c)

dx

2
2

x x 1
2

Ans :

12

Ans :

Ans :

12

Example 3
a)

dx
9 x2

x
c
3

Ans : sin -1

b)

dx
3 4x

Ans :

2x
1
c
sin 1
2
3

Example 4

dx
4x x 2

x 2
c
2

Ans : sin -1

Example 5
dx

a)

10 x

b)

7 3x

dx

Ans :

Ans :

1
10

10

tan 1

1
21

tan 1

3 x

c
7

Example 6

4x

dx

4x 2

An s :

1
tan 1 (2x 1) c
2

Example 7

dx
4x 2 5

Ans :

1
5

2x

sec 1

Example 8

dx
e 2x 6

Ans :

1
6

Exercise 2
( page 518. Thomas and Finey )
Find the derivative of y with respect to the appropriate variable.

10

ex

sec 1

1.

y cos 1 ( x 2 )

3.

7.

y sec 1 ( 2s 1)
1
y sec 1 , 0 t 1
t
y ln(tan 1 t)

9.

y s 1 s 2 cos -1 s

5.

2.

y sin -1 2 t

4.

y csc -1 ( x 2 1),

6.

y cot -1 t
y csc -1 ( e t )

8.
10.

x0

y tan -1 x 2 1 csc 1 x,

Evaluate the following integrals

11 .

13.

dx
9x

dx

7x

12.

dx
25 x 2 2

17.

19.

dt
0 8 2t 2

16.

dy
y 4y 2 1

3dr
1 4(r 1)

(2x 1)

4 s2

15.

4ds

14.

dx
(2x 1) 2 4

18.

dx

2 (x - 1)

20.

11

2 cos d
1 (sin ) 2

x 1

QUIZ 1

1.

Given x sec 1 (3)

and

y tan 1 ( 1) , find the value of cos(x-y)

(4 marks)
2.

Differentiate with respect to x

y tan 1 x ln(1 x 2 )

(6 marks)

QUIZ 2

Evaluate

1.

dx

(2 x )

(4 marks)
2.

2x 3
dx
4x 7

12

(6 marks)

13