Can you help me solve this trig identity question?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around proving a trigonometric identity involving cosine and cotangent functions. Participants are attempting to manipulate the given expression to demonstrate the equality of both sides.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster expresses confusion after making initial progress on the problem. Some participants suggest converting the left side of the identity into sine and cosine terms, while others seek clarification on the steps taken in this conversion.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, with some offering guidance on how to proceed. There is a recognition of confusion regarding specific steps, indicating that the discussion is ongoing and exploratory.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of the relationship between cotangent and tangent, which may influence the understanding of the identity being discussed. The original poster's struggle with the problem suggests that certain assumptions or foundational knowledge may be in question.

x.xmedzx.x
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hey guyz...ok iv been trying to figure this question out for so long...and i jus can't.i get up to a certain point and then i jus get confused.so if anyone can help me that would be great!

Prov that:
Cos^2x + Cotx ÷ Cos^2x – Cotx = Cos^2x (tanx) + 1 ÷ Cos^2x (tanx) -1
 
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[tex]\frac{\cos^{2}x + \cot x}{\cos^{2}x-\cot x} = \frac{\cos^{2}x(\tan x)+1}{\cos^{2} x(\tan x) -1}[/tex]

Convert the left side to sines and cosines:

[tex]\frac{\cos^{2}x + \frac{\cos x}{\sin x}}{\cos^{2}x - \frac{\cos x}{\sin x}} = \frac{\cos^{2}x\sin x + \cos x}{\sin x}\frac{\sin x}{\cos^{2}x\sin x - \cos x} = \frac{\cos^{2}x\sin x + \cos x}{\cos^{2}x\sin x - \cos x} = \frac{\cos^{2}x(\sin x + \frac{1}{\cos x})}{\cos^{2}x(\sin x - \frac{1}{\cos x})}[/tex].

Can you go from there?
 
Last edited:
umm ok the first setp i got...but the 2nd one I am a little bit confused as to what you did...
 
x.xmedzx.x said:
umm ok the first setp i got...but the 2nd one I am a little bit confused as to what you did...
Note that;

[tex]\cot\theta=\frac{1}{\tan\theta}=\frac{1}{\frac{\sin\theta}{\cos\theta}}=\frac{\cos\theta}{\sin\theta}[/tex]
 

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