Trigonometry and Geometry

Srinath Mahankali ([email protected])

New York City Math Team

Trigonometry can be a very useful tool for solving geometry problems.

1 Some More Trig Identities

Many problems involve a sum of trig functions when it is actually helpful to interpret it as a product of trig
functions, and vice-versa. The product-to-sum and the sum-to-product formulas allow us to tackle these
types of problems.

Theorem 1 (Product to Sum Formulas)

The following formulas hold:

• sin x cos y = 1
2 [sin(x + y) + sin(x − y)].

• sin x sin y = 1
2 [cos(x − y) − cos(x + y)].

• cos x cos y = 1
2 [cos(x + y) + cos(x − y)].

Proof
Expand using the angle addition and subtraction formulas.

Using these formulas, we can also convert sums of trig functions to products of trig functions.

Theorem 2 (Sum to Product Formulas)

The following formulas hold:

• sin u + sin v = 2 sin u+v u−v

2 cos 2 .

• cos u + cos v = 2 cos u+v u−v

2 cos 2 .

• cos u − cos v = −2 sin u+v u−v

2 sin 2 .

Proof
Starting with the Product to Sum formulas, set u = x + y and v = x − y. Then, x = u+v
2 and y =
u−v
2 .
Then, the Sum to Product formulas hold as a result of the Product to Sum formulas.

Exercises
Exercise 1. Simplify sin 40 + sin 50 into one term using sum to product formulas.
Exercise 2. Simplify sin 20 · sin 40 using product to sum formulas.

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Trigonometry and Geometry Srinath Mahankali ([email protected])

2 Law of Sines
One way to relate the sides of a triangle to the angles opposite them is through the Law of Sines.

Theorem 3 (Law of Sines)

In triangle ABC,
BC AC AB
= = = 2R,
sin A sin B sin C
where R is the circumradius of triangle ABC.

Proof
First, a diagram:

A
θ

O
R θ

B D C

Notice that ∠BOC = 2∠BAC. Dropping a perpendicular from the center O to BC at D cuts the length
of BC in half, since 4BOC is isosceles. This perpendicular also cuts ∠BOC in half, so ∠BOD = ∠BAC.
However, notice that sin ∠BOD = BC 2R , or that

BC
= 2R,
sin ∠BOD
as desired.

This proof only covers the case where 4ABC is an acute triangle, but the Law of Sines still holds true for
obtuse triangles (can you prove this?).

Exercises
Exercise 1. Prove the Law of Sines in the case where triangle ABC is obtuse.

Exercise 2. Suppose triangle ABC satisfies AB = 5 and AC = 4, and sin ∠ABC = 21 . What is sin ∠ACB?
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Exercise 3. Suppose triangle ABC satisfies AB = 5 and AC = 4, and sin ∠ABC = 2. What is the
circumradius of 4ABC?

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Trigonometry and Geometry Srinath Mahankali ([email protected])

3 Law of Cosines
Another way to relate the sides of a triangle to its angles is through the Law of Cosines.

Theorem 4 (Law of Cosines)

In triangle ABC with BC = a, AC = b, and AB = c, the following identities hold:

c2 = a2 + b2 − 2ab cos ∠C

b2 = a2 + c2 − 2ac cos ∠B
a2 = b2 + c2 − 2bc cos ∠A

Proof
First, a diagram:

A
B d D e
From the Pythagorean theorem, we see that

a2 + b2 − 2f 2 = d2 + e2 .

Listing out all information we have through trigonometry, we see that cos ∠BCD = fa , sin ∠BCD =
d f e
a , cos ∠ACD = b , and sin ∠ACD = b . Using the cosine angle addition formula, we see that

f f d e f 2 − de
cos ∠C = cos(∠BCD + ∠DCA) = · − · = .
a b a b ab
This means
−2ab cos ∠C = 2de − 2f 2 ,
implying that
a2 + b2 − 2ab cos ∠C = d2 + 2de + e2 = (d + e)2 = c2 ,
as desired.

Exercises
Exercise 1. In triangle ABC, AB = 3, AC = 8, and ∠A = 60◦ . What is BC?

Exercise 2. In triangle ABC, AB = 7, AC = 5, and BC = 3. What is cos ∠C?

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Trigonometry and Geometry Srinath Mahankali ([email protected])

4 Problems
Problem 1. Triangle ABC has side lengths AB = 13, BC = 14, and AC = 15. What is the area of triangle
ABC?

Problem 2 (AMC 12). Let ABC be an equilateral triangle. Extend side AB beyond B to a point B 0 so
that BB 0 = 3 · AB. Similarly, extend side BC beyond C to a point C 0 so that CC 0 = 3 · BC, and extend
side CA beyond A to a point A0 so that AA0 = 3 · CA. What is the ratio of the area of 4A0 B 0 C 0 to the area
of 4ABC?

Problem 3 (AMC 12). An object moves 8 cm in a straight line from A to B, turns at an angle α, measured
in radians and chosen at random from the interval (0, π), and moves 5 cm in a straight line to C. What is
the probability that AC < 7?

Problem 4 (Stewart’s Theorem). In 4ABC, we draw cevian AD. If AD = d, BD = m, CD = n, AB =

c, AC = b and BC = a, prove that
amn + d2 a = b2 m + c2 n.

Problem 5 (AMC 12). In 4ABC with integer side lengths,

11 7 1
cos A = , cos B = , and cos C = − .
16 8 4
What is the least possible perimeter for 4ABC?

Problem 6 (AIME). In √
equilateral 4ABC let points D and E trisect BC. Then sin(∠DAE) can be
expressed in the form a c b , where a and c are relatively prime positive integers, and b is an integer that is
not divisible by the square of any prime. Find a + b + c.

Problem 7 (Ratio Lemma). In triangle ABC, we draw cevian AD. Prove that

BD AB sin ∠BAD
= .
CD AC sin ∠CAD
Problem 8 (HMMT). Compute the value of
cos 30.5 + cos 31.5 + . . . + cos 44.5
.
sin 30.5 + sin 31.5 + . . . + sin 44.5
Problem 9 (AMC 12). Suppose that 4ABC is an equilateral triangle of side √ length s, with the property
that there is a unique point P inside the triangle such that AP = 1, BP = 3, and CP = 2. What is s?

Problem 10 (AIME). Triangle ABC has side lengths AB = 7, BC = 8, and CA = 9. Circle ω1 passes
through B and is tangent to line AC at A. Circle ω2 passes through C and is tangent to line AB at A. Let
K be the intersection of circles ω1 and ω2 not equal to A. Then AK = m n , where m and n are relatively
prime positive integers. Find m + n.