TRIGONOMETRY

1. BASIC TRIGONOMETRIC IDENTITIES :

(a) sin2 + cos2 = 1 ; 1  sin   1 ; 1  cos   1    R
(b) sec   tan  = 1
2 2 ; sec   1    R
(c) cosec   cot  = 1 ;
2 2 cosec   1    R
2. IMPORTANT T RATIOS:
(a) sin n  = 0 ; cos n  = (-1)n ; tan n  = 0 where n  I
(2n  1) ( 2 n  1)
(b) sin = (1)n & cos = 0 where n  I
2 2
 31 5
(c) sin 15° or sin = = cos 75° or cos ;
12 2 2 12
 31 5
cos 15° or cos = = sin 75° or sin ;
12 2 2 12
3 1 3 1
tan 15° = = 2  3 = cot 75° ; tan 75° = = 2  3 = cot 15°
3 1 3 1
 2 2  2 2  3
(d) sin = ; cos = ; tan = 21 ; tan = 21
8 2 8 2 8 8
 51  51
(e) sin or sin 18° = & cos 36° or cos =
10 4 5 4
3. TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS OF ALLIED ANGLES :
If  is any angle, then , 90 ± , 180 ± , 270 ± , 360 ±  etc. are called ALLIED ANGLES.
(a) sin ( ) =  sin  ; cos ( ) = cos 
(b) sin (90°- ) = cos  ; cos (90°  ) = sin 
(c) sin (90°+ ) = cos  ; cos (90°+ ) =  sin 
(d) sin (180° ) = sin  ; cos (180° ) =  cos 
(e) sin (180°+ ) =  sin  ; cos (180°+ ) =  cos 
(f) sin (270° ) =  cos ; cos (270° ) =  sin 
(g) sin (270°+ ) =  cos ; cos (270°+ ) = sin 
4. TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS OF SUM OR DIFFERENCE OF TWO ANGLES :
(a) sin (A ± B) = sinA cosB ± cosA sinB
(b) cos (A ± B) = cosA cosB  sinA sinB
(c) sin²A  sin²B = cos²B  cos²A = sin (A+B) . sin (A B)
(d) cos²A  sin²B = cos²B  sin²A = cos (A+B) . cos (A  B)
cot A cot B  1
(e) tan (A ± B) = tan A  tan B (f) cot (A ± B) =
1  tan A tan B cot B  cot A
5. FACTORISATION OF THE SUM OR DIFFERENCE OF TWO SINES OR COSINES :
C D CD C D CD
(a) sinC + sinD = 2 sin cos (b) sinC  sinD = 2 cos sin
2 2 2 2
C D CD C D CD
(c) cosC + cosD = 2 cos cos (d) cosC  cosD =  2 sin sin
2 2 2 2
6. TRANSFORMATION OF PRODUCTS INTO SUM OR DIFFERENCE OF SINES & COSINES :
(a) 2 sinA cosB = sin(A+B) + sin(AB) (b) 2 cosA sinB = sin(A+B)  sin(AB)
(c) 2 cosA cosB = cos(A+B) + cos(AB) (d) 2 sinA sinB = cos(AB)  cos(A+B)
7. MULTIPLE ANGLES AND HALF ANGLES :
 
(a) sin 2A = 2 sinA cosA ; sin  = 2 sin cos
2 2
(b) cos2A = cos2A  sin2A = 2cos2A  1 = 1  2 sin2A ;
   
cos  = cos2  sin² = 2cos2  1 = 1  2sin2 .
2 2 2 2
1  cos 2A
2 cos2A = 1 + cos 2A , 2sin2A = 1  cos 2A ; tan2A =
1  cos 2A
 
2 cos2 = 1 + cos  , 2 sin2 = 1  cos .
2 2
2tanA 2tan( 2)
(c) tan 2A = ; tan  =
1 tan 2 A 1 tan 2 ( 2)
2tanA 1tan 2 A
(d) sin 2A = 2
, cos 2A = 2
(e) sin 3A = 3 sinA  4 sin3A
1 tan A 1 tan A
3tanA tan 3 A
(f) cos 3A = 4 cos A  3 cosA
3 (g) tan 3A =
13tan 2 A
8. THREE ANGLES :
tan A  tan B tanC tan A tan BtanC
(a) tan (A+B+C) =
1 tan A tan B tan BtanC tanC tan A
NOTE IF : (i) A+B+C =  then tanA + tanB + tanC = tanA tanB tanC

(ii) A+B+C = then tanA tanB + tanB tanC + tanC tanA = 1
2
(b) If A + B + C =  then : (i) sin2A + sin2B + sin2C = 4 sinA sinB sinC
A B C
(ii) sinA + sinB + sinC = 4 cos cos cos
2 2 2
9. MAXIMUM & MINIMUM VALUES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS:
(a) Min. value of a2tan2 + b2cot2 = 2ab where  R
(b) Max. and Min. value of acos + bsin are a 2  b 2 and – a 2  b 2
(c) If f() = acos() + bcos() where a, b,  and  are known quantities then
– a 2  b 2  2ab cos(  ) < f() < a 2  b 2  2ab cos(  )
 
(d) If    0,  and  =  (constant) then the maximum values of the expression
2
cos cos, cos + cos, sin + sin and sin sin
occurs when  = /2.
(e) If   0,   and  = (constant) then the minimum values of the expression
 2
sec + sec, tan + tan, cosec + cosec occurs when = /2.
(f) If A, B, C are the angles of a triangle then maximum value of
sinA + sinB + sinC and sinA sinB sinC occurs when A = B = C = 600
(g) In case a quadratic in sin or cos is given then the maximum or minimum values can be interpreted
by making a perfect square.
10. Sum of sines or cosines of n angles,
n
sin  n1 

sin  + sin (+) + sin ( + 2 ) + ...... + sin   n  1  = 2

sin 2
sin   


2 
n
 n1 

cos  + cos (+) + cos ( + 2 ) + ...... + cos   n  1  =  sin 2

sin 2
cos   


2 
TRIGONOMETRIC EQUATIONS
 
1. If sin  = sin    = n  + (1)n  where    ,  , n  I .
 2 2
2. If cos  = cos    = 2 n  ±  where   [0 , ] , n  I .
3. If tan  = tan    = n  +  where     ,   , n  I .
 2 2
4. If sin²  = sin²    = n  ± .
5. cos²  = cos²    = n  ± .
6. tan²  = tan²    = n  ± . [ Note :  is called the principal angle ]
7. TYPES OF TRIGONOMETRIC EQUATIONS :
(a) Solutions of equations by factorising . Consider the equation ;
(2 sin x  cos x) (1 + cos x) = sin² x ; cotx – cosx = 1 – cotx cosx
(b) Solutions of equations reducible to quadratic equations. Consider the equation :
3 cos² x  10 cos x + 3 = 0 and 2 sin2x + 3 sinx + 1 = 0
(c) Solving equations by introducing an Auxilliary argument . Consider the equation :
sin x + cos x = 2 ; 3 cos x + sin x = 2 ; secx – 1 = ( 2 – 1) tanx
(d) Solving equations by Transforming a sum of Trigonometric functions into a product.
Consider the example : cos 3 x + sin 2 x  sin 4 x = 0 ;
sin2x + sin22x + sin23x + sin24x = 2 ; sinx + sin5x = sin2x + sin4x
(e) Solving equations by transforming a product of trigonometric functions into a sum.
Consider the equation :
sin 6 x
sin 5 x . cos 3 x = sin 6 x .cos 2 x ; 8 cosx cos2x cos4x = ; sin3 = 4sin sin2 sin4
sin x
(f) Solving equations by a change of variable :
(i) Equations of the form of a . sin x + b . cos x + d = 0 , where a , b & d are real
numbers & a , b  0 can be solved by changing sin x & cos x into their corresponding
tangent of half the angle. Consider the equation 3 cos x + 4 sin x = 5.
(ii) Many equations can be solved by introducing a new variable . eg. the equation
sin4 2 x + cos4 2 x = sin 2 x . cos 2 x changes to
 1
2 (y + 1)  y   = 0 by substituting , sin 2 x . cos 2 x = y..
2
(g) Solving equations with the use of the Boundness of the functions sin x & cos x or by
making two perfect squares. Consider the equations :
 x   x 
sin x  cos  2 sin x +  1 sin  2cos x  . cos x = 0 ;
 4   4 
4 11
sin2x + 2tan2x + tanx – sinx + =0
3 12
8. TRIGONOMETRIC INEQUALITIES : There is no general rule to solve a Trigonometric inequations
and the same rules of algebra are valid except the domain and range of trigonometric functions should be
kept in mind.
 INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
GENERAL DEFINITION(S):
1. sin1 x , cos1 x , tan1 x etc. denote angles or real numbers whose sine is x , whose cosine is x
and whose tangent is x, provided that the answers given are numerically smallest available . These
are also written as arc sinx , arc cosx etc .
If there are two angles one positive & the other negative having same numerical value, then
positive angle should be taken .
2. PRINCIPAL VALUES AND DOMAINS OF INVERSE CIRCULAR FUNCTIONS :
 
(i) y = sin1 x where 1  x  1 ;  y and sin y = x .
2 2
(ii) y = cos1 x where 1  x  1 ; 0  y   and cos y = x .
 
(iii) y = tan1 x where x  R ;  x and tan y = x .
2 2
 
(iv) y = cosec1 x where x   1 or x  1 ;  y , y  0 and cosec y = x .
2 2

(v) y = sec1 x where x  1 or x  1 ; 0  y   ; y  and sec y = x .
2
(vi) y = cot1 x where x  R , 0 < y <  and cot y = x .
NOTE THAT : (a) 1st quadrant is common to all the inverse functions .
(b) 3rd quadrant is not used in inverse functions .

(c) 4th quadrant is used in the CLOCKWISE DIRECTION i.e.  y0 .
2
3. PROPERTIES OF INVERSE CIRCULAR FUNCTIONS :
P1 (i) sin (sin1 x) = x , 1  x  1 (ii) cos (cos1 x) = x , 1  x  1
(iii) tan (tan1 x) = x , x  R (iv) sin1 (sin x) = x ,    x  
2 2
 
(v) cos1 (cos x) = x ; 0  x   (vi) tan1 (tan x) = x ;  x
2 2
1
P2 (i) cosec1 x = sin1 ; x  1 , x  1
x
1
(ii) sec1 x = cos1 ; x  1 , x  1
x
1
(iii) cot1 x = tan1 ; x>0
x
1
=  + tan1 ; x<0
x

P3 (i) sin1 (x) =  sin1 x , 1  x  1

(ii) tan1 (x) =  tan1 x , x  R
(iii) cos1 (x) =   cos1 x , 1  x  1
(iv) cot1 (x) =   cot1 x , x  R
 
P4 (i) sin1 x + cos1 x = 1  x  1 (ii) tan1 x + cot1 x = xR
2 2

(iii) cosec1 x + sec1 x = x  1
2
 xy
P5 tan1 x + tan1 y = tan1 where x > 0 , y > 0 & xy < 1
1  xy

xy
=  + tan1 where x > 0 , y > 0 & xy > 1
1  xy

xy
tan1 x  tan1y = tan1 where x > 0 , y > 0
1  xy

sin1 x + sin1 y = sin1 x 1  y  y 1  x  where x  0 , y  0 & (x2 + y2)  1

2 2
P6 (i)


Note that : x2 + y2  1  0  sin1 x + sin1 y 
2

sin1 x + sin1 y =   sin1 x 1  y  y 1  x  where x  0 , y  0 & x2 + y2 > 1

2 2
(ii)


Note that : x2 + y2 >1  < sin1 x + sin1 y < 
2

(iii) 
sin–1x – sin–1y = sin 1 x 1  y 2  y 1  x 2  where x > 0 , y > 0

(iv) 
cos1 x + cos1 y = cos1 x y  1 x 2 1 y 2  where x  0 , y  0

 x  y  z  xyz 
P7 If tan1 x + tan1 y + tan1 z = tan1 1  x y  y z  z x  if, x > 0, y > 0, z > 0 & xy + yz + zx < 1
 
Note : (i) 1 1 1
If tan x + tan y + tan z =  then x + y + z = xyz

(ii) If tan1 x + tan1 y + tan1 z = then xy + yz + zx = 1
2

1 1  x = tan1 2 x
2
2x
P8 2 tan1 x = sin1 = cos
1  x2 1  x2 1  x2
Note very carefully that :
 2 tan 1 x if x 1
2x  1  x2  2 tan 1 x
if x  0
sin1 =   2 tan 1 x if x1 cos1 =  1
1 x 1  x2  2 tan x if x  0
2

 
    2 tan x
1
 if x  1

 2tan 1 x if x 1
2x 
tan1 =   2tan 1 x if x  1
 
1  x2
  2tan 1 x if x 1

REMEMBER THAT :
3
(i) sin1 x + sin1 y + sin1 z =  x = y = z = 1
2
(ii) cos1 x + cos1 y + cos1 z = 3  x = y = z = 1
(iii) tan1 1+ tan1 2 + tan1 3 =  and tan1 1 + tan1 12 + tan1 13 = 2
 INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
SOME USEFUL GRAPHS

  
1. y = sin 1 x , x  1 , y    2 , 2  2. y = cos 1 x , x  1 , y  [0 , ]
 

  
3. y = tan 1 x , x  R , y    2 , 2  4. y = cot 1 x , x  R , y  (0 , )

        
5. y = sec 1 x , x  1 , y  0 , 2    2 ,   6. y = cosec 1 x , x  1 , y   , 0   0 , 
   2   2
   
7. (a) y = sin 1 (sin x) , x  R , y   ,  , 7.(b) y = sin (sin 1 x) ,
 2 2
Periodic with period 2  = x
x  [ 1 , 1] , y  [ 1 , 1] , y is aperiodic

8. (a) y = cos 1(cos x), x  R, y[0, ], periodic with period 2  8. (b) y = cos (cos 1 x) ,
= x = x
x  [ 1 , 1] , y  [ 1 , 1], y is aperiodic

9. (a) y = tan (tan 1 x) , x  R , y  R , y is aperiodic 9. (b) y = tan 1 (tan x) ,

=x = x
      
x  R  (2 n  1) 2 n  I  , y    2 , 2  ,
 
periodic with period 

10. (a) y = cot 1 (cot x) , 10. (b) y = cot (cot 1 x) ,

= x = x
x  R  {n } , y  (0 , ) , periodic with  x  R , y  R , y is aperiodic
11. (a) y = cosec 1 (cosec x), 11. (b) y = cosec (cosec 1 x) ,
= x = x
    
x  R  { n , n  I }, y   2 , 0  0 , 
 2 x  1 , y  1, y is aperiodic

y is periodic with period 2 

12. (a) y = sec 1 (sec x) , 12. (b) y = sec (sec 1 x) ,

= x = x
y is periodic with period 2 ; x  1 ; y  1], y is aperiodic
      
x  R – (2 n  1) n  I  y  0 ,    ,

 2   2 2
 SOLUTIONS OF TRIANGLE
a b c
I. SINE FORMULA : In any triangle ABC ,   .
sin A sin B sin C
b 2 c 2 a 2
II. COSINE FORMULA : (i) cos A = or a² = b² + c²  2bc. cos A
2bc
c 2 a 2 b 2 a 2  b 2 c 2
(ii) cos B = (iii) cos C =
2ca 2ab
III. PROJECTION FORMULA : (i) a = b cos C + c cos B (ii) b = c cos A + a cos C
(iii) c = a cos B + b cos A
BC bc A
IV. NAPIER’S ANALOGY  TANGENT RULE : (i) tan = cot
2 b c 2
CA ca B AB a b C
(ii) tan = cot (iii) tan = cot
2 c a 2 2 a b 2
V. TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS OF HALF ANGLES :
A (sb)(sc) B (sc)(sa ) C (sa )(sb)
(i) sin = ; sin = ; sin =
2 bc 2 ca 2 ab

A s(sa ) B s(sb) C s(sc)

(ii) cos = ; cos = ; cos =
2 bc 2 ca 2 ab

A (sb)(sc)  a  bc
(iii) tan = = where s = &  = area of triangle.
2 s(sa ) s(sa ) 2
(iv) Area of triangle = s(sa )(sb)(sc) .
VI. M  N RULE : In any triangle ,
(m + n) cot   m cot   n cot 
 n cot B  m cot C
1 1 1
VII. ab sin C = bc sin A = ca sin B = area of triangle ABC .
2 2 2
a b c
  = 2R
sin A sin B sin C
a bc
Note that R = 4  ; Where R is the radius of circumcircle &  is area of triangle
VIII. Radius of the incircle ‘r’ is given by :
 a bc A B C
(a) r = where s = (b) r = (s  a) tan= (s  b) tan = (s  c) tan
s 2 2 2 2
a sin 2 sin 2
B C
A B C
(c) r = & so on (d) r = 4R sin sin sin
cos A2 2 2 2

IX. Radius of the Ex circles r1 , r2 & r3 are given by :

   A B C
(a) r1 = ; r2 = ; r3 = (b) r1 = s tan ; r2 = s tan ; r3 = s tan
sa sb sc 2 2 2
a cos B2 cos C2 A B C
(c) r1 = & so on (d) r1 = 4 R sin . cos . cos ;
cos A2 2 2 2

B A C C A B
r2 = 4 R sin . cos . cos ; r3 = 4 R sin . cos . cos
2 2 2 2 2 2
X. LENGTH OF ANGLE BISECTOR & MEDIANS :
If ma and a are the lengths of a median and an angle bisector from the angle A then,
1 2 bc cos A
2
ma = 2 b 2  2 c 2  a 2 and a =
2 bc
3 2
Note that m 2a  m 2b  m 2c = (a + b2 + c2)
4
XI. ORTHOCENTRE AND PEDAL TRIANGLE :
The triangle KLM which is formed by joining the feet of the altitudes is
called the pedal triangle.
 the distances of the orthocentre from the angular points of the
 ABC are 2 R cosA , 2 R cosB and 2 R cosC
 the distances of P from sides are 2 R cosB cosC,
2 R cosC cosA and 2 R cosA cosB
 the sides of the pedal triangle are a cosA (= R sin 2A),
b cosB (= R sin 2B) and c cosC (= R sin 2C) and its angles are
 2A,  2B and  2C.
 circumradii of the triangles PBC, PCA, PAB and ABC are equal .
XII EXCENTRAL TRIANGLE :
The triangle formed by joining the three excentres I1, I2 and I3
of  ABC is called the excentral or excentric triangle.
Note that :
 Incentre I of  ABC is the
orthocentre of the excentral  I1I2I3 .
  ABC is the pedal triangle of the  I1I2I3 .
 the sides of the excentral triangle are
A B C
4 R cos , 4 R cos and 4 R cos
2 2 2
 A  B
and its angles are  ,  and   C .
2 2 2 2 2 2
A B C
 I I1 = 4 R sin ; I I2 = 4 R sin ; I I3 = 4 R sin .
2 2 2
XIII. THE DISTANCES BETWEEN THE SPECIAL POINTS :
(a) The distance between circumcentre and orthocentre is = R . 1  8 cos A cos B cos C
(b) The distance between circumcentre and incentre is = R2  2 R r

(c) The distance between incentre and orthocentre is 2 r 2  4 R 2 cos A cos B cos C
XIV. Perimeter (P) and area (A) of a regular polygon of n sides inscribed in a circle of radius r are given by
 1 2 2
P = 2nr sin and A= nr sin
n 2 n
Perimeter and area of a regular polygon of n sides circumscribed about a given circle of radius r is given by
 
P = 2nr tan and A = nr2 tan
n n
XV. In many kinds of trignometric calculation, as in the solution of triangles, we often require the logarithms of
trignometrical ratios . To avoid the trouble and inconvenience of printing the proper sign to the logarithms
of the trignometric functions, the logarithms as tabulated are not the true logarithms, but the true logarithms
increased by 10 . The symbol L is used to denote these "tabular logarithms" . Thus :
L sin 15º 25 = 10 + log10 sin 15º 25
and L tan 48º 23 = 10 + log10 tan 48º 23