Trigonometric Identities 1

Trigonometric Identities

Basic Identities:

y r
sin θ = r (1) y
θ
x
cos θ = r (2) x

y sin θ
tan θ = x = (3)
cosθ
x cos θ 1
cot θ = y = = (4)
sinθ tan θ
r 1 r 1
sec θ = x = (5) csc θ = y = (6)
cos θ sin θ

Unit Circle
π/2, 90°
•
2π/3 π/3, 60°
• •
3π/4• • π/4, 45°

5π/6• • π/6, 30°

1
sin θ

π θ 0
• •
cos θ

•
7π/6 11π/6
•
5π/4 7π/4
•
4π/3 5π/3
•
3π/2
2 Trigonometric Identities

Table of Values from 0 to 2π:

degrees 0 30 45 60 90 120 135 150 180

radians 0 π/6 π/4 π/3 π/2 2π/3 3π/4 5π/6 π

sin 1 2 3 3 2 1
θ (y/r) 0 2 1 2 0
2 2 2 2
cos θ 3 2 1 1 2 3
- - -
(x/r) 1 2 0 2 -1
2 2 2 2
tan 3 3
θ (y/x) 0 1 -1 - 0
3 3 →±∞ - 3 3
cot 3 3
θ (x/y) 1 0 - -1
→±∞ 3 3 3 - 3 →±∞
sec 2 3 -2 3
θ (r/x) 1 2 -2 -1
3 2 →±∞ - 2 3
csc 2 3 2 3
θ (r/y) 2 1 2
→±∞ 2 3 3 2 →±∞

Table continued

degrees 210 225 240 270 300 315 330 360

radians 7π/6 5π/4 4π/3 3π/2 5π/3 7π/4 11π/6 2π

sin 1 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 2 1
- -
θ (y/r) 2 -1 2 0
2 2 2 2
cos θ - 3 - 2 1 1 2 3
-
(x/r) 2 0 2 1
2 2 2 2
tan 3 - 3
θ (y/x) 1 3 →±∞ - 3 -1 0
3 3
cot 3 - 3
θ (x/y) 3 1 0 -1 - 3 →±∞
3 3
sec θ -2 3 2 3
(r/x) -2 2 1
3 - 2 →±∞ 2 3
csc θ -2 3 -2 3 - 2
(r/y) -2 -1 - -2
- 2 3 3 →±∞
Trigonometric Identities 3

Some useful trigonometric relationships:

sin 2 θ + cos 2θ = 1 (7)

1 + tan2θ = sec2θ (divide [ 7 ] by sin2θ) (8)

1 + cot 2θ = csc2θ (divide [ 7 ] by cos2θ) (9)

( 10 )
sin(α ± β) = sin α cos β ± cos α sin β

cos (α ± β) = cos α cos β + sin α sin β ( 11 )

tan α ± tan β
tan (α ± β) =
1 + tan α tan β ( 12 )

2 1
sin θ = (1 - cos 2θ)
2 ( 13 )

2 1
cos θ = (1 + cos 2θ)
2 ( 14 )

sin 2θ = 2sin θ cos θ ( 15 )

cos 2q = cos2 q - sin 2 q = 2cos2 q - 1 = 1 - 2sin 2 q ( 16 )

2 tan θ
tan 2θ =
2
1 - tan θ ( 17 )

θ 1 - cos θ
sin = ±
2 2 ( 18 )

θ 1 + cos θ
cos = ±
2 2 ( 19 )
4 Trigonometric Identities

θ 1 - cos θ sin θ
tan = =
2 sin θ 1 + cos θ ( 20 )

All of the above relationships are easily proved from Euler's identity

ei θ = cos θ + isin θ, ( 21a )

and it also follows that

e-iθ = cos θ - isin θ, ( 21b )

ei θ + e -iθ ( 22 )
cos θ = = cos (-θ)
2

ei θ - e-iθ
sin θ = = - sin (-θ) ( 23 )
2i

and these identities can be manipulated to get a new and sometimes more
convenient expression for the trigonometric function of an angle. Just in case
you doubt this method, we append some derivations:

2 2
iθ -iθ iθ -iθ
2 2 e +e e -e
cos θ + sin θ = +
2 2i
2iθ -2iθ 2iθ -2iθ
e +2+e e -2+e
= +
4 -4 ( 24 )
2iθ -2iθ 2iθ -2iθ
e +2+e -e +2 - e
=
4
= 1.

2iθ -2iθ
e -e
sin 2θ =
2i
Trigonometric Identities 5

2 2
iθ -iθ
e - e
=
2i
iθ -iθ iθ -iθ
(e + e )(e - e )
=
2i ( 25 )
iθ -iθ
= (e + e ) sin θ
= 2 cos θ sin θ .

The hyperbolic functions are analogous to the trig functions and often arise in
physical situations. Their relations to the trig functions are as follows:

ex - e-x e-i(ix) - ei(ix)

sinh x = = = -i sin (ix) , ( 26 )
2 2

ex + e -x e-i(ix ) + e i(ix)
cosh x = = = cos (ix) , ( 27 )
2 2

x
cos x = cosh i = cosh (-ix) = cosh (ix) , ( 28 )

x
sin x = i sinh i = i sinh (-ix) = -i sinh (ix). ( 29 )

(The following laws apply for all B

triangles with angles, A, B and C and c a
opposite side lengths as defined in
the figure.) A C
b

sin A sin B sin C

Law of Sines: = b = c ( 30 )
a

Law of Cosines: c2 = a2 + b2 - 2abcos C ( 31 )

6 Trigonometric Identities

Derivatives of Trig Functions:

d du
(sin u) = cos u
dx dx ( 32 )

d du
(cos u) = - sin u
dx dx ( 33 )

d 2 du
(tan u) = sec u
dx dx ( 34 )

d 2 du
(cot u) = -csc u
dx dx ( 35 )

d du
(sec u) = sec u tan u
dx dx ( 36 )

d du
(csc u) = - csc u cot u
dx dx ( 37 )

References: Shenk, Calculus and Analytic Geometry

Boas, Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences