Triggered Trigonometry #1

Algebra Level 2

If sin x + cos x = y + 1 y \sin x + \cos x = \sqrt{{y} + \dfrac{1}{y}} where x [ 0 , π ] x \in [0 , \pi] ,then

x = π 6 , y = 2 x=\dfrac{\pi}{6} ,y=2 x = π 4 , y = 2 x=\dfrac{\pi}{4} ,y=2 x = π 2 , y = 1 x=\dfrac{\pi}{2} ,y=1 x = π 4 , y = 1 x=\dfrac{\pi}{4} ,y=1

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4 solutions

We note that the RHS is > 0 >0 and let us assume that a solution exists for sin x \sin {x} and cos x \cos {x} are positive. Cauchy-Schwartz inequality implies:

( sin x + cos x ) 2 ( 1 2 + 1 2 ) ( sin 2 x + cos 2 x ) = 2 (\sin{x} + \cos{x})^2 \le (1^2+1^2)(\sin^2{x} + \cos^2{x}) = 2

\Rightarrow LHS = sin x + cos x 2 = \sin{x} + \cos{x} \le \sqrt{2} and we note that RHS = y + 1 y 2 = \sqrt{y+\dfrac{1}{y}} \ge \sqrt{2} .

This implies that sin x + cos x = y + 1 y = 2 \sin{x} + \cos{x} = \sqrt{y+\dfrac{1}{y}} = \sqrt{2} and equality happens when sin x = cos x = 1 2 x = π 4 \sin{x} = \cos{x} = \dfrac {1}{\sqrt{2}}\Rightarrow \boxed{x = \dfrac {\pi}{4}} and y = 1 y = 1 \boxed{y = \dfrac {1}{y} = 1} .

Why you took the maximum value? The value could have been between Max and min.

Sachin Arora - 6 years, 4 months ago

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Sachin, sorry, I didn't explain it clearly. See the edited solution above.

Chew-Seong Cheong - 6 years, 4 months ago

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Sorry but my doubt remains the same that why did we considered the Max. value of expression to find the answer. There are infinitly many positive values of the expression,why not them?

Sachin Arora - 6 years, 4 months ago

You said : "sin x and cos x are positive in the given interval of x", but cos x may be negative

Gamal Sultan - 6 years, 4 months ago

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You are right. I am going to change the solution. Thanks.

Chew-Seong Cheong - 6 years, 4 months ago
Curtis Clement
Feb 8, 2015

Here I will use a calculus approach to find the maximum of the given expression.

Let f {f} ( x {x} ) = sin( x {x} ) + cos( x {x} ). Then: f ( x ) = c o s x s i n x = 0 c o s x = s i n x = 1 2 f'(x) = cosx -sinx = 0 \Rightarrow\ cosx = sinx = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} Differentiating again to fond the nature of the stationary point: f ( x ) = s i n x c o s x = 2 < 0 s i n x + c o s x 2 f''(x) = -sinx - cosx = -\sqrt{2}\ < 0 \therefore\ sinx + cosx \leq\sqrt{2} Equality occurs when x = π 4 , y = 1 x = \frac{\pi}{4}\ , y =1

Misha Ivkov
Feb 14, 2015

Note that ( sin x + cos x ) 2 = 1 + sin 2 x (\sin x+\cos x)^2=1+\sin 2x , so we have 1 + sin 2 x = y + 1 y 1+\sin 2x=y+\frac 1y . By AM-GM, y + 1 y 2 y+\frac 1y\geq2 , and obviously 1 + sin 2 x 2 1+\sin 2x\leq2 . Therefore, they must both be 2, which happens at x = π 4 , y = 1 x=\frac \pi4,\ y=1

Krunal Deshmukh
Feb 10, 2015

Here , i will use the value of x = π/4, y = 1 and this x and y value satisfied equation sin⁡〖θ+ cos⁡〖θ= √(y+ 1/y〗 〗)

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