Understanding the Behavior of Trigonometric Functions on Specific Intervals

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    Integrating Trig
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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of trigonometric functions, specifically focusing on the assumptions regarding the continuity and increasing nature of a function over the interval from 0 to π. Participants are examining the implications of certain parameters, such as 'a', on the function's properties.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants question the assumption that the function is increasing over the entire interval and discuss the continuity of the function based on the value of 'a'. There are attempts to analyze the integration process and its validity across specific points in the interval.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing insights and alternative approaches to the problem. Some have expressed doubts about the original assumptions and the integration method, while others are exploring the implications of discontinuities in the function.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of specific values for 'a' that affect the function's behavior, as well as references to an attachment that contains statements about the function's continuity and increasing nature, which are under scrutiny.

Miike012
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I have a question regarding what I highlighted in the paint doc.

How can they assume that the function is increasing?

As a matter of fact its not increasing on the entire interval from 0 to pi.
 

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Miike012 said:
I have a question regarding what I highlighted in the paint doc.

How can they assume that the function is increasing?

As a matter of fact its not increasing on the entire interval from 0 to pi.

Well, clearly it isn't increasing. It isn't even continuous on [0,pi] if a=1/9. It is increasing where it is continuous as the derivative shows. There has got to be more context in the problem than you have shown. Where did you find this problem?
 
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Dick said:
Well, clearly it isn't increasing. It isn't even continuous on [0,pi] if a=1/9. It is increasing where it is continuous as the derivative shows. There has got to be more context in the problem than you have shown. Where did you find this problem?

The paint document contains the entire paragraph.
 

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The attempt to integrate through pi/2 this way looks doubtful. I would break the integration range at pi/4 etc.
##\int_{\frac{\pi}4}^{\frac{\pi}2}\frac{\sec^2(\theta).d\theta}{a^2+ \tan ^2(\theta)} = ## ##\int_0^{\frac{\pi}4}\frac{cosec^2(\theta).d\theta}{a^2+\cot^2(\theta)} = \int_0^{\frac{\pi}4}\frac{\sec^2(\theta).d\theta}{a^2\tan^2(\theta)+1} ##
 
haruspex said:
The attempt to integrate through pi/2 this way looks doubtful. I would break the integration range at pi/4 etc.
##\int_{\frac{\pi}4}^{\frac{\pi}2}\frac{\sec^2(\theta).d\theta}{a^2+ \tan ^2(\theta)} = ## ##\int_0^{\frac{\pi}4}\frac{cosec^2(\theta).d\theta}{a^2+\cot^2(\theta)} = \int_0^{\frac{\pi}4}\frac{\sec^2(\theta).d\theta}{a^2\tan^2(\theta)+1} ##

I'm really not sure what the text Miike012 posted is getting at. But I would hope it's trying to say that if you are using the antiderivative arctan(tan(x)/a), you need to break the integration range at each point where that function is discontinuous. And arctan(tan(x)/a) is not the same thing as arctan(tan(x/a)) which is a problem with Miike012's original post.
 
Dick said:
I'm really not sure what the text Miike012 posted is getting at. But I would hope it's trying to say that if you are using the antiderivative arctan(tan(x)/a), you need to break the integration range at each point where that function is discontinuous.
Agreed, but it didn't look to me as though the line taken in the attachment was helpful. Hence my proposed alternative.
And arctan(tan(x)/a) is not the same thing as arctan(tan(x/a)) which is a problem with Miike012's original post.
I don't see anywhere that arctan(tan(x/a)) is mentioned.
 
haruspex said:
Agreed, but it didn't look to me as though the line taken in the attachment was helpful. Hence my proposed alternative.

I don't see anywhere that arctan(tan(x/a)) is mentioned.

I was trying to guess the sense of the question from the graphs posted. Since arctan(tan(x/9)) was graphed, I thought that might have something to do with what the OP thought the antiderivative was. It should have been arctan(tan(x)/9).
 
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I don't care about anything else other than the statement made in the attachment which was..."Therefore arctan(tan(x)/a) must increase continuously with x." This statement can be found at the bottom of the attachment of post number 3.

Which was my original question in post number 1.
 
Miike012 said:
I don't care about anything else other than the statement made in the attachment which was..."Therefore arctan(tan(x)/a) must increase continuously with x." This statement can be found at the bottom of the attachment of post number 3.

Which was my original question in post number 1.

Ok, fine. It doesn't. It increases from 0 to pi/2 if a is positive, then decreases discontinuously, then increases again from pi/2 to pi.
 
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