What kind Logarithmic Base is this?

Geometry Level 4

log 24 sin x ( 24 cos x ) = 3 2 \log_{24 \sin x} (24 \cos x) = \dfrac{3}{2}

Suppose x x is in the interval [ 0 , π / 2 ] [0,\pi/2] and satisfy the equation above , find 24 cot 2 x 24 \cot^2 x .


The answer is 192.

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2 solutions

This equation can be written as

( 24 sin ( x ) ) 3 2 = 24 cos ( x ) ( 24 sin ( x ) ) 3 = ( 24 cos ( x ) ) 2 (24\sin(x))^{\frac{3}{2}} = 24\cos(x) \Longrightarrow (24\sin(x))^{3} = (24\cos(x))^{2}

24 sin 3 ( x ) = cos 2 ( x ) = 1 sin 2 ( x ) \Longrightarrow 24\sin^{3}(x) = \cos^{2}(x) = 1 - \sin^{2}(x)

24 sin 3 ( x ) + sin 2 ( x ) 1 = 0 \Longrightarrow 24\sin^{3}(x) + \sin^{2}(x) - 1 = 0

( 3 sin ( x ) 1 ) ( 8 sin 2 ( x ) + 3 sin ( x ) + 1 ) = 0. \Longrightarrow (3\sin(x) - 1)(8\sin^{2}(x) + 3\sin(x) + 1) = 0.

Since there are no real roots for the quadratic, the only solution is sin ( x ) = 1 3 . \sin(x) = \dfrac{1}{3}.

This gives us that cos ( x ) = ± 2 2 3 \cos(x) = \pm \dfrac{2\sqrt{2}}{3} and thus cot 2 ( x ) = 8. \cot^{2}(x) = 8.

So the desired solution is 24 8 = 192 . 24*8 = \boxed{192}.

The trick lied in the factorisation.

Adarsh Kumar - 6 years, 2 months ago

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how do you factorise though? im not very familiar with this kind of factorisation

Hilbert Franca - 6 years, 2 months ago

sin ( x ) = 1 3 csc ( x ) = 3 cot 2 ( x ) = csc 2 ( x ) 1 = 3 2 1 = 8 \sin (x) = \frac 1 3 \Rightarrow \csc (x) = 3 \Rightarrow \cot^2 (x) = \csc^2 (x) - 1 = 3^2 - 1 = 8

Pi Han Goh - 6 years, 2 months ago
Chenyang Sun
Mar 26, 2015

Follow Brian's solution up to sin(x) = 1/3. Therefore, 24sin(x)^3 = 24cos(x)^2. Divide by 24sin(x)^2 to get 24sin(x) = cot(x)^2, which in turn leads to 24cot(x)^2 = 24x24x1/3 = 192.

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