Know Some Trigonometry

Geometry Level 4

Find the value of ( n = 1 3 tan 2 ( n π 7 ) ) ( n = 1 3 cot 2 ( n π 7 ) ) \left(\sum_{n=1}^{3} \tan^2 \left(\dfrac{n\pi}{7}\right)\right)\left(\sum_{n=1}^{3} \cot^2 \left(\dfrac{n\pi}{7}\right)\right)

Note : You may not use wolfram alpha \textbf{Note : You may not use wolfram alpha}


The answer is 105.

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1 solution

Pi Han Goh
Sep 4, 2014

This solution is currently wrong.


Consider the equation cos ( 7 y ) = 1 \cos (7y) = 1 , then the smallest positive solutions are y = 2 π 7 , 4 π 7 , , 14 π 7 y = \frac { 2\pi}{7}, \frac {4 \pi}{7}, \ldots, \frac {14 \pi}{7}

By Chebyshev's polynomial, cos ( 7 y ) = 64 cos 7 ( y ) 112 cos 5 ( y ) + 56 cos 3 ( y ) 7 cos ( y ) = 1 \cos (7y) = 64 \cos^7 (y) - 112 \cos^5 (y) + 56 \cos^3 (y) - 7 \cos (y) = 1

Let x = cos ( y ) x = \cos (y) , substitution to the above equation followed by division of ( x 1 ) ( 0 ) (x-1) (\ne 0) gives

( 8 x 3 + 4 x 2 4 x 1 ) 2 = 0 (8 x^3 + 4 x^2 - 4 x - 1)^2 = 0

Which has roots ± cos ( 2 π 7 ) , ± cos ( 4 π 7 ) , ± cos ( 6 π 7 ) \pm \cos \left ( \frac {2\pi}{7} \right ), \pm \cos \left ( \frac {4\pi}{7} \right ), \pm \cos \left ( \frac {6\pi}{7} \right )

This is due to the identity cos ( θ ) = cos ( π θ ) \cos (\theta) = - \cos (\pi - \theta)

Let w = x 2 w = x^2 then the equation below have roots cos 2 ( π 7 ) , cos 2 ( 2 π 7 ) , cos 2 ( 3 π 7 ) \cos^2 \left ( \frac {\pi}{7} \right ), \cos^2 \left ( \frac {2\pi}{7} \right ), \cos^2 \left ( \frac {3\pi}{7} \right )

64 w 3 112 w 2 + 56 w 7 = 0 64w^3 - 112w^2 + 56w - 7 = 0

Now let W = 1 w W = \frac {1}{w} , then multiply both sides by W 3 W^3 giving

7 W 3 56 W 2 + 112 W 64 = 0 7W^3 - 56W^2 + 112W - 64 = 0 to have roots sec 2 ( π 7 ) , sec 2 ( 2 π 7 ) , sec 2 ( 3 π 7 ) \sec^2 \left ( \frac {\pi}{7} \right ), \sec^2 \left ( \frac {2\pi}{7} \right ), \sec^2 \left ( \frac {3\pi}{7} \right )

By Vieta's formula, sec 2 ( π 7 ) + sec 2 ( 2 π 7 ) + sec 2 ( 3 π 7 ) = 56 7 = 8 \sec^2 \left ( \frac {\pi}{7} \right ) + \sec^2 \left ( \frac {2\pi}{7} \right ) + \sec^2 \left ( \frac {3\pi}{7} \right ) = -\frac {-56}{7} = 8

Apply the trigonometric identity tan 2 ( A ) + 1 = sec 2 ( A ) \tan^2 (A) + 1 = \sec^2 (A) , we should obtain n = 1 3 tan 2 ( n π 7 ) = 5 \displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^3 \tan^2 \left ( \frac {n \pi}{7} \right ) = 5

By an analogous argument, to evaluate the second summation, let z = 1 w z = 1 - w , the equation below have roots sin 2 ( π 7 ) , sin 2 ( 2 π 7 ) , sin 2 ( 3 π 7 ) \sin^2 \left ( \frac {\pi}{7} \right ), \sin^2 \left ( \frac {2\pi}{7} \right ), \sin^2 \left ( \frac {3\pi}{7} \right )

64 ( 1 z ) 3 112 ( 1 z ) 2 + 56 ( 1 z ) 7 = 0 64(1-z)^3 - 112(1-z)^2 + 56(1-z) - 7 = 0 , which simplifies to 64 z 3 80 z 2 + 24 z 1 = 0 64z^3 - 80z^2 + 24z - 1 = 0 , and let Z = 1 z Z = \frac {1}{z} , then multiply both sides by Z 3 Z^3 giving

Z 3 24 Z 2 + 80 Z 64 = 0 Z^3 - 24Z^2 + 80Z - 64 = 0 to have roots csc 2 ( π 7 ) , csc 2 ( 2 π 7 ) , csc 2 ( 3 π 7 ) \csc^2 \left ( \frac {\pi}{7} \right ), \csc^2 \left ( \frac {2\pi}{7} \right ), \csc^2 \left ( \frac {3\pi}{7} \right )

By Vieta's formula, csc 2 ( π 7 ) + csc 2 ( 2 π 7 ) + csc 2 ( 3 π 7 ) = 24 1 = 24 \csc^2 \left ( \frac {\pi}{7} \right ) + \csc^2 \left ( \frac {2\pi}{7} \right ) + \csc^2 \left ( \frac {3\pi}{7} \right ) = -\frac {-24}{1} = 24

Apply the trigonometric identity cot 2 ( A ) + 1 = csc 2 ( A ) \cot^2 (A) + 1 = \csc^2 (A) , thus the second summation is equals to 21 21 .

The answer is 5 × 21 = 105 5 \times 21 = \boxed {105}

isnt it the opposite? tan() = 21, cot ()=5. when i tried, that was the answer i got

Ashu Dablo - 6 years, 9 months ago

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@Ashu Dablo how u did ?? this method is cheap !

sanyam goel - 3 years, 10 months ago

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Yup, I spotted my error already. I'll try to fix it some time this week.

Pi Han Goh - 3 years, 10 months ago

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@Pi Han Goh actually i was asking for some another method ( approach ) .

sanyam goel - 3 years, 10 months ago

Darn, you're right. However, I can't spot my own error... =(

Pi Han Goh - 6 years, 9 months ago

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