Is arcsec = 1 divided by arccos ? Arcsec = 1/arccos

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Vividly
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  • #31
Vividly said:
Its completely different. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Unless arccos(x) ≠arcsec(1/x) like I stated at the top right of the board.
If you insist on your own idiosynchratic approach to trig identities, then I think the onus is on you to sort out the problems. I would encourage you to study this derivation. Let ##x = \cos y##, with ##y \in [0, \pi]## :
$$\arccos(x) = \arccos(\cos y) = y$$ $$arcsec(\frac 1 x) = arcsec(\sec y) = y$$ QED
 
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  • #32
Vividly said:
Its completely different. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Unless arccos(x) ≠arcsec(1/x) like I stated at the top right of the board.
I think I know what I did wrong. I redid the problem and got the right answer. I just don’t understand how when you put values in the calculator for arccosx and arcsec(1/x) you get and error for one and a number for the other.
 

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  • #33
Vividly said:
I think I know what I did wrong. I redid the problem and got the right answer. I just don’t understand how when you put values in the calculator for arccosx and arcsec(1/x) you get and error for one and a number for the other.
The calculator on my phone doesn't have an option for ##arcsec##; nor does excel (it seems); nor does ##arcsec## exist in Latex. None of that matters in light of post #31.
 
  • #34
PeroK said:
The calculator on my phone doesn't have an option for ##arcsec##; nor does excel (it seems); nor does ##arcsec## exist in Latex. None of that matters in light of post #31.
This youtube video teaches you how to put it in the calculator.

 
  • #35
I like that equation:$$\sec^{-1}(-2) = \cos^{-1}(-\frac 1 2) = \frac {2\pi}{3}$$
 
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