The University of Western Australia

SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS

UWA ACADEMY
FOR YOUNG MATHEMATICIANS

Trigonometry Problems with Solutions

1. In the last session, Problem 1 was to prove 9(i). Prove 9(ii) by replacing in 9(i) by
and then use the oddness/evenness results of 3.
Solution.
9. (i) sin( + ) = sin cos + cos sin
(ii) sin( ) = sin cos cos sin
Given 9(i), we must deduce 9(ii):
sin( ) = sin( + )
= sin cos() + cos sin()
= sin cos + cos sin
= sin cos cos sin

2. Prove 9(iii). Hint. Use 9(ii) and the Complementary Angles results of 4.
Solution.
9. (iii) cos( + ) = cos cos sin sin
Proceeding, as per the hint:


cos( + ) = sin 90 ( + )


= sin (90 ) )
= sin(90 ) cos cos(90 ) sin
= cos cos sin sin

3. Similarly, prove each of 9(iv)(vi). Each time you have proved a result, it is legal to use
it to prove the next result.
Solution.
9. (iv) cos( ) = cos cos + sin sin
tan + tan
(v) tan( + ) =
1 tan tan
tan tan
(vi) tan( ) =
1 + tan tan
cos( ) = cos( + )
= cos cos() sin sin()
= cos cos sin sin
= cos cos + sin sin

2
sin( + )
cos( + )
sin cos + cos sin
=
cos cos sin sin
sin cos
cos sin
+
cos cos cos cos
=
sin sin
cos cos

cos cos cos cos

sin
sin
+
cos cos
=
sin sin
1
cos cos
tan + tan
=
1 tan tan
tan( ) = tan( + )
tan + tan()
=
1 tan tan()
tan tan
=
1 tan tan
tan tan
=
1 + tan tan
tan( + ) =

4. Prove each result in 10., from results in 9.

Note. 10(ii)(b) and 10(ii)(c) follow from 10(ii)(a) by using (1) from 2., in two different
ways.
Solution.
10. (i) sin(2) = 2 sin cos
(ii)(a) cos(2) = cos2 sin2
(b) cos(2) = 1 2 sin2
(c) cos(2) = 2 cos2 1
2 tan
(iii) tan(2) =
1 tan2
Putting = in each of the 9. identities:
sin(2) = sin( + )
= sin cos + cos sin
= 2 sin cos
cos(2) = cos( + )
= cos cos sin sin
= cos2 sin2
= 1 2 sin2 ,

using cos2 = 1 sin2

= 2 cos2 1

using sin2 = 1 cos2

tan 2 = tan( + )
tan + tan
=
1 tan tan
2 tan
=
1 tan2

5. Find an exact value (i.e. in terms of surds), for sin(22 21 ).

Solution. We use the identity,
cos(2) = 1 2 sin2 ,

with = 22 21 , so that

1
2
cos(2) = cos(45 ) = =
.
2
2

Rearranging, we have
2 sin2 = 1 cos(2)
1 cos(2)
sin2 =
r 2
1 cos(2)

sin(22 21 ) = sin =
2
v

u
2
u
t1
2
=
2
s

2 2
=
4
p

2 2
=
2

6. Find an exact value (i.e. in terms of surds), for cos(15 ).

Solution. We use the identity,
cos(2) = 2 cos2 1,
with = 15 , so that

cos(2) = cos(30 ) =

3
.
2

Rearranging, we have
2 cos2 = cos(2) + 1
cos(2) + 1
cos2 =
r 2
cos(2) + 1
cos(15 ) = cos =
v 2
u
u 3
t
+1
2
=
s 2
3+2
=
4
p
3+2
=
2

4
Alternatively, we can use the identity,
cos( ) = cos cos sin sin ,
with = 45 and = 30 . Then
cos(15 ) = cos(45 30 ) = cos(45 ) cos(30 ) + sin(45 ) sin(30 )

2
3
2 1
=

2
2 2

2
6+ 2
=
4
Its perhaps non-obvious that the expressions obtained for cos(15 ) by these alternative
methods are equal, but you should be able to see this after observing that

( 6 + 2)2 = ( 2)2 ( 3 + 1)2

= 2(3 + 1 + 2 3)

= 4(2 + 3)

7. Heres an Olympiad Problem with some hints for one way of solving it.
Let a and b be non-zero real numbers such that a2 + b2 = 1. Prove that


b 
a

a + + b +  2 2.
b
a
Hints.
(i) The locus of points (a, b) is the unit circle. So a = cos() and b = sin() for some .
(ii) So a + b = cos() + sin().
(iii) Use the identity
sin( + ) = sin() cos() + cos() sin()

with sin() = cos() = 1/ 2.

(iv) The function sin is bounded : 1 sin() 1, for any real number .

(v) Deduce that |a + b| 2.

(vi) Express
a b 


 + 
b a
in terms of and bound it, using essentially the same identity above but with =
which gives:
sin(2) = 2 sin() cos()
(vii) Finish using the Triangle Inequality:
|x| |y| |x + y| |x| + |y|
with x =

a b
+ and y = a + b.
b a

5
Solution. The locus of all points satisfying a2 + b2 = 1, lie on the unit circle, so that for
some angle we have a = cos and b = sin , whence
a + b = cos + sin .
Now let = 45 and = + . Then

(a, b)

sin
1

sin = sin( + ) = sin cos + cos sin

1
1
= cos + sin
2
2
1
= (cos + sin )
2

cos

Now for any angle , 1 sin 1, and hence

1
| cos + sin | = | sin | 1
2

|a + b| = | cos + sin | 2.

|a + b| 2

(1)

Now
 a b   a2 + b2 
 



 + =
b a
ab
1
1
 
= =
.
ab
|ab|
Since
sin(2) = 2 sin cos
2| sin cos | = | sin(2)| 1
|ab| = | sin cos | 12 .
But a, b are non-zero. So
0 < |ab| 12
a b 
1


 + =
2.
b a
|ab|
Finally, using the lower bound of the Triangle Inequality

(2)

|x + y| |x| |y|
with x =

a b
+ and y = a + b, we have
b a


a
b   a b


a + + b +  =  + + a + b
b
a
b a
a b 


 +  |a + b|
b a
a b 


=  +  + (|a + b|)
b a
2 + ( 2),

and so
as required.


a

a + + b +
b

b 
 2 2,
a

using (2) and (1)