Suppose that the sides a, b, c of △ABC, corresponding to the angles A, B, C respectively, constitute a geometric sequence. Then the range of sinBcotC+cosBsinAcotC+cosA is ( ).
Solution
Suppose that the common ratio of a, b, c is q. Then b=aq, c=aq2. We have sinBcotC+cosBsinAcotC+cosA=sinBcosC+cosBsinCsinAcosC+cosAsinC=sin(B+C)sin(A+C)=sin(π−A)sin(π−B)=sinAsinB=ab=q. So we only need to determine the range of q. As a, b, c are the sides of a triangle, they satisfy a+b>c and b+c>a. That is to say, {a+aq>aq2,aq+aq2>a. It follows that {q2−q−1<0,q2+q−1>0. Their solutions are {25−1<q<25+1,q>25−1 or q<−25+1. It is only possible that 25−1<q<25+1
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