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Lecture77 Slides

The document discusses inverse trigonometric functions, including their definitions and domains/ranges. It provides examples of evaluating inverse trig functions like sin^-1(√1/2), cos^-1(-√3/2), and sin^-1(sin(11π/6)). Diagrams are included to help determine values at special angles.

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15 views

Lecture77 Slides

The document discusses inverse trigonometric functions, including their definitions and domains/ranges. It provides examples of evaluating inverse trig functions like sin^-1(√1/2), cos^-1(-√3/2), and sin^-1(sin(11π/6)). Diagrams are included to help determine values at special angles.

Uploaded by

huy.nguyenbuiquoc
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

CALCULUS I

Inverse Trigonometric Functions

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Inverse Trigonometric Functions

All of the trigonometric functions are periodic, hence are not one-to-one.
In order to define an inverse for each function, we restrict the domain
to an interval or intervals where the function is one-to-one
and where the function achieves all the values in its range:
f (x) = sin x: domain [− π2 , π2 ], range [−1, 1].
f −1 (x) = sin−1 x = arcsin x: domain [−1, 1], range [− π2 , π2 ].
f (x) = cos x: domain [0, π], range [−1, 1].
f −1 (x) = cos−1 x = arccos x: domain [−1, 1], range [0, π].
f (x) = tan x: domain (− π2 , π2 ), range (−∞, ∞).
f −1 (x) = tan−1 x = arctan x: domain (−∞, ∞), range (− π2 , π2 ).
f (x) = sec x: domain [0, π2 ) ∪ [π, 3π
2 ), range (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, ∞).
f −1 (x) = sec−1 x = arcsec x:
domain (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, ∞), range [0, π2 ) ∪ [π, 3π 2 ).
We will not use cot−1 x or csc−1 x.

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Notes
Notes:
Both the “inverse” (sin−1 x) and “arc” (arcsin x) notations are
standard and are used interchangeably.
The −1 in the inverse notation is not an exponent.
For n 6= −1, we have sinn x = (sin x)n ; i.e., n is an exponent.
However, sin−1 x = arcsin x is the inverse of sin x, and
(sin x)−1 = sin1 x = csc x, hence sin−1 x 6= (sin x)−1 .
The “cancellation property” for inverse functions holds for these, but
only for numbers in the correct domain:

sin(sin−1 x) = x for all x in [−1, 1]

sin−1 (sin x) = x for all x in [− π2 , π2 ].


Note that sin x is defined for any real number x,
but the range of sin−1 x is [− π2 , π2 ].
So if x is outside of [− π2 , π2 ], then sin−1 (sin x) 6= x.
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Examples
By definition of inverse functions, we have, for example,
sin−1 x is the number y in [− π2 , π2 ] such that sin y = x,
and
cos−1 x is the number y in [0, π] such that cos y = x.

1 Evaluate sin−1 √1 .
2

There are infinitely many numbers whose sine is √1 . For example,


2

π 3π 9π 11π −5π −7π


4, 4 , 4 , 4 , 4 , 4 ,

and so on. But only one of these ( π4 ) is in [− π2 , π2 ]. Hence


1 π
sin−1 √ = .
2 4

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Examples
For the values of the trigonometric functions at the “special angles”
(multiples of π2 , π3 , π4 , π6 ) you need to be able to compute the exact values
of the inverse trigonometric functions.
So, for example, sin−1 √12 = π4 and not 0.785398.
These values can be determined using the triangles in the figure below:
π
√ 
π
2 6 √3
4
2 1


π π
4 3
1 1
√
2 Evaluate cos−1 (− 3
2 ).
√
We need to find the number in [0, π] whose cosine is − 23 .
π
From the second triangle, we see that the “reference angle” is 6,
and since the cosine is negative,
√ our “angle” is in the second
−1 3
quadrant. Hence cos (− 2 ) = 5π 6 .
5/6
Examples

3 Evaluate sin−1 (sin 11π


6 ).

Note first that since the range of sin−1 x is [− π2 , π2 ],


the answer cannot be 11π 6 .

We want the number in [− π2 , π2 ] whose sine is sin 11π 1


6 = −2.

11π π
The “reference angle” for 6 isand 11π
6,6 is in the fourth quadrant.
Hence  
−1 11π π
sin sin =− .
6 6

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