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Old November 7th, 2009, 12:42 AM
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Unhappy Trigonemetric Functions - Need help understanding constraints

Hello,

Can someone please help me understand how the answers were obtained?

1. (sqrt3)tanx+1=0 -----> tanx = -1/(sqrt3) or 30 deg.

answer is: x = 5pi/6 + kpi

2. 4(cos^2)x-1=0 -----> cosx = 1/2 or 60 deg.

answer is: x = pi/3 + kpi, 2pi/3 + kpi

3. 3(csc^2)x-4=0 -----> cscx=2/(sqrt3) or 60 deg.

answer is: x = pi/3 + kpi, 2pi/3 + kpi

.................

I can do all the algebraic steps, what I'm confused about is how did they come up with kpi as the answer shouldn't it be 2kpi?

because this is what i got...

1. [5pi/6 + 2kpi, 11pi/6 + 2kpi]
what I was thinking was that since tanx=-1/(sqrt3) I would need the solutions of the quadrant where tan is negative, which is quadrant II and IV

2. [pi/3 + 2kpi, 5pi/3 + 2kpi]
again, since cosx=1/2, which is positive...the solutions would be in quadrant I and IV

3...same idea, positive answer cscx = 2/(sqrt3)..solutions are in quadrant I and II

Please help, thanks!
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Old November 7th, 2009, 01:07 AM
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Originally Posted by l flipboi l View Post
Hello,

Can someone please help me understand how the answers were obtained?

1. (sqrt3)tanx+1=0 -----> tanx = -1/(sqrt3) or 30 deg.

answer is: x = 5pi/6 + kpi

2. 4(cos^2)x-1=0 -----> cosx = 1/2 or 60 deg.

answer is: x = pi/3 + kpi, 2pi/3 + kpi

3. 3(csc^2)x-4=0 -----> cscx=2/(sqrt3) or 60 deg.

answer is: x = pi/3 + kpi, 2pi/3 + kpi

.................

I can do all the algebraic steps, what I'm confused about is how did they come up with kpi as the answer shouldn't it be 2kpi?

because this is what i got...

1. [5pi/6 + 2kpi, 11pi/6 + 2kpi]
what I was thinking was that since tanx=-1/(sqrt3) I would need the solutions of the quadrant where tan is negative, which is quadrant II and IV

2. [pi/3 + 2kpi, 5pi/3 + 2kpi]
again, since cosx=1/2, which is positive...the solutions would be in quadrant I and IV

3...same idea, positive answer cscx = 2/(sqrt3)..solutions are in quadrant I and II

Please help, thanks!
1. The period of the tangent function is \pi, not 2\pi.


So you have

\sqrt{3}\tan{x} + 1 = 0

\sqrt{3}\tan{x} = -1

\tan{x} = -\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}


Now since your solution is in the second and fourth quadrants:

x = \left\{\pi - \frac{\pi}{6}, 2\pi - \frac{\pi}{6}\right\} + k\pi, k \in \mathbf{Z}

x = \left\{ \frac{5\pi}{6}, \frac{11\pi}{6}\right\} + k\pi, k \in \mathbf{Z}.


2. 4\cos^2{x} - 1 = 0

4\cos^2{x} = 1

\cos^2{x} = \frac{1}{4}

\cos{x} = \pm \frac{1}{2}


Since the solution can be in any of the four quadrants:


x = \left\{\frac{\pi}{3}, \pi - \frac{\pi}{3}, \pi + \frac{\pi}{3}, 2\pi - \frac{\pi}{3}\right\} + 2k\pi, k \in \mathbf{Z}

= \left\{\frac{\pi}{3}, \frac{2\pi}{3}, \frac{4\pi}{3}, \frac{5\pi}{3}\right\} + 2k\pi, k \in \mathbf{Z}.



3. 3\csc^2{x} - 4 = 0

3\csc^2{x} = 4

\csc^2{x} = \frac{4}{3}

\sin^2{x} = \frac{3}{4}

\sin{x} = \pm \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}.


Since the solution can be in any four of the quadrants:


x = \left\{ \frac{\pi}{3}, \pi - \frac{\pi}{3}, \pi + \frac{\pi}{3}, 2\pi - \frac{\pi}{3}\right\} + 2k\pi, k \in \mathbf{Z}

= \left\{\frac{\pi}{3}, \frac{2\pi}{3}, \frac{4\pi}{3}, \frac{5\pi}{3}\right\} + 2k\pi, k \in \mathbf{Z}.
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