Undergrad Proof of double angle formulas using Euler's equation

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The discussion focuses on proving the double angle formulas for sine and cosine using Euler's formula. The user initially struggles with how to manipulate the equation ei2Θ = cos(2Θ) + isin(2Θ) to separate real and imaginary parts. They realize that expanding (eiΘ)² leads directly to the double angle identities: sin(2Θ) = 2sinΘcosΘ and cos(2Θ) = cos²Θ - sin²Θ. The breakthrough comes from recognizing the simplification of the squared exponential form. Ultimately, the user finds clarity in the approach and successfully derives the formulas.
SamRoss
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Hi all,

I'm slowly working through "Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences" by Mary Boas, which I highly recommend, and I'm stumped on one of the questions. The problem is to prove the double angle formulas sin (2Θ)=2sinΘcosΘ and cos(2Θ)=cos2Θ-sin2Θ by using Euler's formula (raised to the second power) ei2Θ=cos(2Θ)+isin(2Θ). I should be splitting this up into two equations, one setting the real parts equal to each other and the other with the imaginary parts but I'm not sure how to do that with the left side looking like it does. Should I first be taking the natural log of both sides? If so, what are the logs of sin and cos?

Thanks!
 
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Do you know what ##(e^{iΘ})^2## is?
 
fresh_42 said:
Do you know what ##(e^{iΘ})^2## is?
Oh duh...
(e)2=(cosΘ+isinΘ)2=cos2Θ+2isinΘcosΘ-sin2Θ which automatically leads to the answer. I was so stuck on looking at it in exponential form I didn't see what was right in front of me. Thanks for the help!
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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