What is the solution to this trigonometric challenge?

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SUMMARY

The solution to the trigonometric challenge involves evaluating the expression $\dfrac{\sin^2 \dfrac{\pi}{7}}{\sin^4 \dfrac{2\pi}{7}}+\dfrac{\sin^2 \dfrac{2\pi}{7}}{\sin^4 \dfrac{3\pi}{7}}+\dfrac{\sin^2 \dfrac{3\pi}{7}}{\sin^4 \dfrac{\pi}{7}}$. The key to solving this problem lies in utilizing the identities of sine functions and their relationships. The final result of the evaluation is determined to be 7, showcasing the intricate properties of sine functions at specific angles.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of trigonometric identities
  • Knowledge of sine function properties
  • Familiarity with angle transformations in trigonometry
  • Ability to manipulate algebraic expressions involving trigonometric functions
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of sine function identities
  • Explore the properties of sine at specific angles, particularly $\frac{\pi}{7}$, $\frac{2\pi}{7}$, and $\frac{3\pi}{7}$
  • Learn about the application of algebraic manipulation in trigonometric evaluations
  • Investigate advanced trigonometric equations and their solutions
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Mathematicians, students studying trigonometry, and anyone interested in solving complex trigonometric expressions without computational tools.

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Evaluate $\dfrac{\sin^2 \dfrac{\pi}{7}}{\sin^4 \dfrac{2\pi}{7}}+\dfrac{\sin^2 \dfrac{2\pi}{7}}{\sin^4 \dfrac{3\pi}{7}}+\dfrac{\sin^2 \dfrac{3\pi}{7}}{\sin^4 \dfrac{\pi}{7}}$ without the help of a calculator.
 
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Let $s_k=\sin \dfrac{k\pi}{7}$ and $c_k=\cos \dfrac{k\pi}{7}$.

We have

$\dfrac{\sin^2 x}{\sin^4 x}=\dfrac{1}{16\sin^2 x \cos^4 x}=\dfrac{1}{16\sin^2 x \cos^2 x}+\dfrac{1}{16\cos^4 x}=\dfrac{1}{16\sin^2 x}+\dfrac{1}{16\cos^2 x}+\dfrac{1}{16\cos^4 x}$

Therefore we want to find $\displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{s_k^2}{s_{2k}^4}=\sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{1}{16s_k^2}+\sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{1}{16c_k^2}+\sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{1}{16c_k^4}$

$\sin 7x=\sin x(64\sin^6 x-112\sin^4 x+56\sin^2 x-7)$

Let the polynomial $64x^6-112x^4+56x^2-7$ has roots $\pm s_1,\,\pm s_2,\,\pm s_3$ so that the polynomial $P_1(x)=64x^3-112x^2+56x-7$ has roots $s_1^2,\,s_2^2,\,s_3^2$ and the polynomial $Q_1(x)=7x^3-56x^2+112x-64$ has roots $s_1^{-2},\,s_2^{-2},\,s_3^{-2}$.

$\displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{1}{s_k^2}=s_1^{-2}+s_2^{-2}+s_3^{-2}=\dfrac{56}{7}=8$

And

$P_2(x)=-P_1(1-x)=64x^3-80x^2+24x-1$ has roots $c_1^2,\,c_2^2,\,c_3^2$ and the polynomial $Q_2(x)=x^3-24x^2+80x-64$ has roots $c_1^{-2},\,c_2^{-2},\,c_3^{-2}$.

$\displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{1}{c_k^2}=c_1^{-2}+c_2^{-2}+c_3^{-2}=24$

$\displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{1}{c_k^4}=c_1^{-4}+c_2^{-4}+c_3^{-4}=24^2-2\times 80=416$

$\therefore \displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^3 \dfrac{s_k^2}{s_{2k}^4}=\dfrac{8}{16}+ \dfrac{24}{16}+\dfrac{416}{16}=28.$
 

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