VIII.

Inverse Trigonometric Functions

8.1 Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Let y be defined as a function of x by the equation

sin y=x

i.e., x is the sine of y , or, y is an angle whose sine is x . When the equation is solved for y , a new kind of
function, neither algebraic nor trigonometric, is obtained; we must therefore devise a new symbol to
denote this function.
An angle whose sine is x is represented by the symbol arcsin x or sin− 1 x :

y=arcsin x if sin y =x

That is the function arcsin x is the inverse of the sine.

8.2 Elementary Properties

Example (a). Prove that
1 x arcsin (− x )=− arcsin x
Solution: Let
β α =arcsin ( − x ) , β=arcsin x
α So that
−x sin α =− x , sin β=x .
1 Both α and β are acute angles, one negative, the
other positive, so that they may be represented
Figure 8.2a as in Fig. 8.2a.

Example (b). Prove that

1
arccot x = π − arctan x . β
2
Put 1
α =arccot x , β=arctan x α
x
Both are positive acute and may be represented as in Figure 8.2b Figure 8.2b
1
The α and β are complementary angles: α + β= π .
2

Example (c). Prove that

sin ( 2 arcsin x )=2 x √ 1− x 2 .
Put
α =arcsin x

sin α=x
By trigonometry,
cos α=± √ 1− sin α =± √ 1 − x .
2 2

But since α lies in either the first or the fourth quadrant , the cosine is positive and we have definitely
 cos α= √1 − x 2 ,

sin ( 2 arcsin x )=sin 2 α

¿ 2 sin α cos α

¿ 2 x √ 1− x2

Example (d). Simplify the expression ( arctan 2+ arctan 3 ) .

Put
α =arctan 2, β=arctan 3
From which
tan α=2, tan β=3 ,
And let
γ=arctan 2+arctan 3=α + β
Then
tan α +tan β
tan γ =tan ( α + β )=
1 − tan α tan β

2+ 3
¿ =−1
1− 2· 3

The sum of two positive acute angles must lie in either the first or the second quadrant. Our γ has a
negative tangent. It must lie in the second quadrant.

3
arctan 2+ arctan 3= π
4

Example (e). Simplify the equation

1
( a ) arcsin x+ arcsin y= π
3

Let

( b ) α =arcsin x , β=arcsin y

so that ( a ) becomes

1
( c ) α + β= π
3

From ( b )
sin α=x , cos α =¿ √1 − x 2 ¿;

sin β= y , cos β=√ 1− y

2
From ( c )
1
cos ( α + β )=cos π
3
1
cos α cos β − sin α sin β=
2

√ 1− x2 · √1 − y 2 − xy= 12

( )
2
( √1 − x 2 · √ 1− y 2) =
2 1
+ xy
2

( 1 − x 2 )( 1− y 2) = 1 + xy + x 2 y 2
4

Simplifying
2 2
4 x + 4 xy +4 y =3

Exercises
A. Verify the following.
x
=arctan x 5.sin ( Arcosx )= √ 1 − x
2
1. arcsin
√1+ x 2

2x 2
2. tan ( 2 arctan x )= 2
6. cos ( 2 arccos x )=2 x −1
1− x
2 x √1 − x
2
2x
3. sin ( 2arctan x ) = 2
7. tan ( 2 arcsin x ) = 2
1+ x 1− 2 x
2 x √1 − x
2 2
1− x
4. tan ( 2 arccos x )= 2
8. cos ( 2 Arctanx ) = 2
2x −1 1+ x

B. Evaluate the given expressions.

( 1 1
) (2
1. tan arctan +arctan 5 . tan arctan − arctan
3 7 3
1
5 )
( 1 1
) (12
2. tan arctan − arctan 6 . cos arcsin − arccos
3 4 13
3
5 )
( 5
12
4
5 ) (3
3. cos arctan +arcsin 7 . tan arcsin + arctan 3
5 )
( 2 6
) (9
4. sin arcsin +arctan 8 . sin arctan −arctan
9 7 8
2
5 )
C. Simplify the given expression
3 1 1
1. arctan 4 −arctan 6 .arctan +arctan
5 3 2
 1 4 1
2. arctan 3 −arctan 7 .arccos +arctan
2 5 7
1 13 3
3. arccos +arcsin 8 . arctan +arctan 5
7 14 2
7 5 12
4. arctan 13+ arctan 9 . arcsin +arcsin
6 13 13
4 4 5 12
5. arccos + arctan 10 . arctan +arcsin
5 3 12 13
1 7 x +2
11 . arctan +arctan 15. arctan + arctan ( x+1 ) ; x >0
2 6 x
x 1 4
12 . arctan + arctan ;x >0 16. 2 arctan 2+arctan
x +2 x+1 3
1 4 1 1
13 . 2arctan − arctan 17. 2arctan − arctan
2 3 2 7
4
14 . arctan − 2arctan 3
3

D. Change the equation to algebraic form, with the realization that the new form may contain points not
satisfying the original equation.

8.3 Derivative of the Inverse Trigonometric Functions

To differentiate the function
y=arcsin x
Let us pass to the form
( 1 ) sin y=x
Equation ( 1 ) yields
dy
cos y =1
dx

dy 1
=
dx cos y

1 1
Since sin y=x , and − π ≤ y ≤ π , it follows that
2 2

cos y =√1 − sin y =√ 1 − x

2 2

so that
d 1
arcsin x=
dx √ 1− x 2

If u is any function of x , the general formulas for the three principal functions are:

du
d dx
( 13 ) arcsin u=
dx √ 1 −u2
 du
d dx
( 14 ) arccos u=−
dx √1 −u2
du
d dx
( 15 ) arctan u=
dx 1+u
2

Example (a)
1 1 du 1
If θ=arctan t , let u= t , =
3 3 dt 3
1
dθ 3 3
= =
dt 1 2
1+ t 2 9+t
9
Example (b)
du
If y=arcsin ( 2 cos θ ) ,u=2 cos θ , =−2 sin θ
dθ
dy − 2 sinθ
=
dθ √ 1 − 4 cos 2 θ

Example (c). A man on a wharf 20 ft. above the water pulls in a rope to which a boat is tied, at the rate of 4
ft per sec. Find the rate of change of the angle θ when there is 25 ft of rope out.
Solution:
20
θ=arcsin
r
20 dr
−
dθ r 2 dt
=

√
dt 400
1− 2 r
r 20
θ
dr x
−20
dt Figure 8.3
¿
r √ r − 400
2

The length of rope out is decreasing at the rate of 4 ft per sec. Hence
dr
=− 4 ,
dt
so that when r =25,
dθ 16
= rad per sec
dt 75

Exercises
1. y=arcsin 4 x 13. θ=arctan φ
 x x
2. y=arctan , a> 014. y=arcsin , a>0
a a
3. f ( w )=arctan ( 1+ 4 w ) 15. x=arcsin (1 −2 v )
4. x=arctan ( t 2 ) 16. x=( arctan t )
2

5. y=( Arcsinx ) 17. y=arcsin ( x )

3 3

6. θ=arccos3 φ 18. θ=arccos √ 1− φ

7. x=arcsin √ t 19. x=arctan √ t
8. y=x arcsin 2 x 20. y=x arctan 4 x
arcsin α
9. u=x 2 arcsin x 21. w=
α
arcsin ( x )
2
arctan 2 x
10. y= 22. y =
x x
2

11. y=( 1+ x ) arctan x − x 23. y=arctan ( x )

2 2 2

12. y=( x − 1 ) √ 2 x − x +arcsin ( x −1 ) 24. y =2arcsin

2

√ x
2

25. A ladder 15 ft long leans against a vertical wall. If the top slides down at 2 ft per sec, how fast is the
angle of elevation of the ladder decreasing, when the lower ends is 12 ft. from the wall?
26. A ship, moving 8 mi per hr, sails north for 30 min, then turns to east . If a searchlight at the point of
departure follows the ship, how fast is the light rotating 2 hr after the start?
27. A balloon, leaving the ground 60 ft from an observer, rises 10 ft per sec. How fast is the angle of
elevation of the line of sight increasing after 8 sec?
28. The base of the right triangle grows 2 ft per sec, the altitude grows 4 ft per sec. If the base and altitude
are originally 10 ft and 16 ft respectively, find the time-rate of change of the base angle, when that angle is
45° .
29. A rowboat is pushed off from a beach at 8 ft per sec. A man on shore holds a rope, tied to the boat, at
a height of 4 ft. Find how fast the angle of elevation of the rope is decreasing, after 1 sec.
30. A kite is 60 ft high, with 100 ft of cord out. If the kite is moving horizontally 4 mi per hr directly away
from the boy flying it, find the rate of change of the angle of elevation of the cord.