What is the value of n in the identity sin^3xsin3x=\sum^n_{m=0}{}^nC_mcosmx?

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SUMMARY

The value of n in the identity sin^3x sin 3x = ∑^n_{m=0} C_m cos mx is determined through the expansion of the left-hand side using trigonometric identities. The discussion reveals that the correct interpretation of the binomial coefficient C_m is crucial, as it relates to the powers of cosine in the expansion. The final expression indicates that n must equal 3, as the highest cosine term present is cos 3x.

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  • Understanding of trigonometric identities, specifically sin and cos functions.
  • Familiarity with binomial coefficients and their notation (nCm).
  • Knowledge of angle addition formulas for sine and cosine.
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  • #31
Ok, i did it from beginning.
I have attached my attempts. Please check them and please tell me if i am wrong somewhere.
(Pardon me for my handwriting :biggrin:)

2mpfknp.jpg

iydb7k.jpg
 
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  • #32
I found a mistake where you expanded (\frac {1 - \cos 2x} 2)^2.

tiny-tim said:
erm … they're not round thingies, they're curvey thingies :rolleyes:

don't confuse people! :redface:

I stand corrected! That is much less confusing! :biggrin:

Err, but how do you distinguish it from curly thingies?
Aren't those curvey too? :confused:
 
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  • #33
I like Serena said:
I found a mistake where you expanded (\frac {1 - cos 2x} 2)^2.

I am very sorry for my foolishness. I would again scan my attempts and post them here.
 
  • #34
Here are my attempts again. :)
Hope they're correct now :redface:

i2ppj8.jpg

20oxt4.jpg
 
  • #35
Pranav-Arora said:
(Pardon me for my handwriting :biggrin:)

I think it's rather good handwriting …

large and clear :approve:

(except I think the "4" should be more angular :wink:)
I like Serena said:
Err, but how do you distinguish it from curly thingies?
Aren't those curvey too? :confused:

chunky: []

curvey: ()

curly: {}

pointy: <> :smile:
 
  • #36
tiny-tim said:
I think it's rather good handwriting …

large and clear :approve:

(except I think the "4" should be more angular :wink:) chunky: []

curvey: ()

curly: {}

pointy: <> :smile:

Thanks for appreciating my handwriting. :biggrin:

But are my attempts correct? :smile:
 
  • #37
hmm :redface:

i'm reluctant to go through all that and check it …

you seem to have started by making it more complicated

i'd have started by using the basic https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=18" to get formulas like

2sinxsin3x = cos(3x - x) - cos(3x + x) = cos2x - cos4x

isn't that simpler? :wink:

try that :smile:
 
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  • #38
I am correcting my attempts after \frac{2cos^32x-3cos^22x+1}{4} :smile:

\frac{2cos^32x-3cos^22x+1}{4}=\frac{2(\frac{cos6x+3cos2x}{4})-3(\frac{cos4x+1}{2})+1}{4}=\frac{(\frac{cos6x+3cos2x}{2})-3(\frac{cos4x+1}{2})+1}{4}=\frac{cos6x+3cos2x-3cos4x-1}{8}
 
  • #39
tiny-tim said:
hmm :redface:

i'm reluctant to go through all that and check it …

you seem to have started by making it more complicated

i'd have started by using the basic https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=18" to get formulas like

2sinxsin3x = cos(3x - x) - cos(3x + x) = cos2x - cos4x

isn't that simpler? :wink:

try that :smile:

Wow! :
I tried that way, it was much simpler. Thank you!
But what should i do next? :confused:

I get:-
\frac{cos6x+3cos2x-3cos4x-1}{8}
 
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  • #40
Pranav-Arora said:
I tried that way, it was much simpler.

he he :biggrin:

now use a similar formula for sinxcos(something), to use up one more sinx

the use up the final sinx with a coscos formula again :wink:

(oh, and yes i get the same final result as you do! :smile:

and to make sure :rolleyes: I checked it by putting x = 0 and π/2)

btw, have you done complex numbers yet?

if so, try using https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=162" to rewrite the answer as a binomial expansion :wink:
 
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  • #41
tiny-tim said:
he he :biggrin:

now use a similar formula for sinxcos(something), to use up one more sinx

the use up the final sinx with a coscos formula again :wink:

(oh, and yes i get the same final result as you do! :smile:

and to make sure :rolleyes: I checked it by putting x = 0 and π/2)

btw, have you done complex numbers yet?

if so use https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=162" to rewrite the answer as a binomial expansion :wink:


Here's no more sine now.:confused:

And i haven't done complex numbers yet. :frown:
 
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  • #42
Pranav-Arora said:
Here's no more sine now.:confused:

yes there is …

you started with sin3xsin3x = sinx(sinx(sinxsin3x))), and the first step was to expand the sinxsin3x,

so now you use up the middle sinx, and when you've done that you use up the left-hand sinx :wink:
And i haven't done complex numbers yet. :frown:


doesn't matter, you don't need them
 
  • #43
tiny-tim said:
yes there is …

you started with sin3xsin3x = sinx(sinx(sinxsin3x))), and the first step was to expand the sinxsin3x,

so now you use up the middle sinx, and when you've done that you use up the left-hand sinx :wink:


doesn't matter, you don't need them


No, there's no sin x.
I started with (sin2x)(sinxsin3x).
As you said 2sinxsin3x = cos(3x - x) - cos(3x + x) = cos2x - cos4x. I used this same process and at the place of "sinxsin3x" i wrote \frac{cos2x-cos4x}{2}. Then i was left with sin2x. I expanded this left over sin2x, solved the whole equation and got:-
\frac{cos6x+3cos2x-3cos4x-1}{8}
 
  • #44
oh I see!

I thought you hadn't done those extra steps, and you were just repeating the answer you got by your original method, and you were asking how to get there, because you asked "What should I do next?"

you do nothing next, that is the answer, isn't it? :smile:
 
  • #45
tiny-tim said:
oh I see!

I thought you hadn't done those extra steps, and you were just repeating the answer you got by your original method, and you were asking how to get there, because you asked "What should I do next?"

you do nothing next, that is the answer, isn't it? :smile:

No, i still have to find the value of n :smile:
 
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  • #46
Nooo …

you have to find the value of n :smile:

which is of course 6 :wink:
 
  • #47
tiny-tim said:
Nooo …

you have to find the value of n :smile:

which is of course 6 :wink:

Yes, i have to find the value of n, but how do you get 6?
 
  • #48
i think you've lost the plot :biggrin:

the original question (with that wrong "n" removed) was …
Pranav-Arora said:
Suppose sin^3xsin3x=\sum^n_{m=0}C_mcosmx is an identity in x, where C0, C1, ...Cn are constants, and Cn \neq0, then what is the value of n?

your answer is (cos6x -3cos4x +3cos2x - 1)/8,

which is ∑ Cmcosmx with C6 = 1/8, C4 = -3/8, C2 = 3/8, C0 = -1/8 :wink:
 
  • #49
tiny-tim said:
your answer is (cos6x -3cos4x +3cos2x - 1)/8,

which is ∑ Cmcosmx with C6 = 1/8, C4 = -3/8, C2 = 3/8, C0 = 1/8 :wink:

I still don't get it...:confused::cry:
 
  • #50
"∑ Cmcosmx" is another way of writing

C0cos0x + C1cosx + C2cos2x + C3cos3x + ...

(with each C being an ordinary number)

do you see that?​
 
  • #51
tiny-tim said:
"∑ Cmcosmx" is another way of writing

C0cos0x + C1cosx + C2cos2x + C3cos3x + ...

(with each C being an ordinary number)

do you see that?​

That i already know..:smile:
But how did you get C6=1/8 and other values :confused:
 
  • #52
I just read it off your answer of (1/8)cos6x -(3/8)cos4x +(3/8)cos2x - (1/8)
 
  • #53
tiny-tim said:
I just read it off your answer of (1/8)cos6x -(3/8)cos4x +(3/8)cos2x - (1/8)

Okay, i understand how you get C6=(1/8). :wink:
But how do you get n=6?? :confused:
 
  • #54
Because the question defines n as being the highest value of m.

The "highest" one is C6 (any C above C6 is zero), so n = 6.
 
  • #55
tiny-tim said:
Because the question defines n as being the highest value of m.

The "highest" one is C6 (any C above C6 is zero), so n = 6.

Okay, but if i wanted to find out the value of C1?
 
  • #56
C1 is the coefficient of cosx, so it's 0.
 
  • #57
tiny-tim said:
Because the question defines n as being the highest value of m.

The "highest" one is C6 (any C above C6 is zero), so n = 6.

Ok thanks..:smile:
You helped me a lot!
Thank you tiny-tim! :wink:
 
  • #58
As an "appendix", here's the alternative result using complex numbers and https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=162"

you won't understand it yet, but anyone else following this might be interested …

sin3xsin3x

= sin3x Im(e3ix)

= sin3x Im((cosx + isinx)3)

= Im((cosxsinx + isin2x)3)

= (1/8) Im((sin2x + i(1 - cos2x))3)

= (1/8) Re((isin2x + 1 - cos2x)3)

= (1/8) Re((1 - e2ix)3)

= (1/8) Re(1 - 3e2ix + 3e4ix - e6ix)

= (1/8) (1 - 3cos2x + 3cos4x - cos6x) :smile:

This works for sinkxsinkx for any value of k …

sinkxsinkx = (-1/2k) ∑ kCm cos2mx :biggrin:

(so what's sinkxcoskx, and is there a quicker way of doing it?)
 
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  • #59
tiny-tim said:
As an "appendix", here's the alternative result using complex numbers and https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=162"

you won't understand it yet, but anyone else following this might be interested …

sin3xsin3x

= sin3x Im(e3ix)

= sin3x Im((cosx + isinx)3)

= Im((cosxsinx + isin2x)3)

= (1/8) Im((sin2x + i(1 - cos2x))3)

= (1/8) Re((isin2x + 1 - cos2x)3)

= (1/8) Re((1 - e2ix)3)

= (1/8) Re(1 - 3e2ix + 3e4ix - e6ix)

= (1/8) (1 - 3cos2x + 3cos4x - cos6x) :smile:

This works for sinkxsinkx for any value of k …

sinkxsinkx = (-1/2k) ∑ kCm cos2mx :biggrin:

(so what's sinkxcoskx, and is there a quicker way of doing it?)


I think i would take a look at it again. My teacher may start up with complex numbers after 2 or 3 chapters. I would save this a text file in my computer. :wink:
 
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  • #60
As another aside, this series is called the Fourier cosine series expansion.
Fourier was a mathematician who found that any function can be expressed as a cosine series of this type, and that the coefficients are unique. :smile:

Many mathematical programmatic tools have this built in, such as Mathematica.
It's also available in WolframAlpha:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=FourierCosSeries+sin^3x+sin3x
although I found that you won't be able to get the full expansion here, because WolframAlpha will time out before you'll get there. :(

However, I'm afraid it will be quite a while before you get to learn this, and maybe you will never learn this, depending on what you're going to study exactly.

The application of Fourier analysis is typically in spectral analysis, signal processing, image processing and electronical engineering, where it's used for frequency related analysis and operations.
 

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