Solution 1
Consider the points Mk=(1,tank∘) in the coordinate plane with origin O=(0,0) , for integers 0≤k≤89 .
Evidently, the angle between segments OMa and OMb is (b−a)∘ , and the length of segment OMa is 1/cosa∘ . It then follows that the area of triangle MaOMb is 21sin(b−a)∘⋅OMa⋅OMb=21sin(b−a)∘/(cosa∘⋅cosb∘) . Therefore \begin{align*} \sum_{k=0}^{88} \frac{\tfrac{1}{2} \sin 1^\circ}{ \cos k^\circ \cos k+1^\circ} &= \sum_{k=0}^{88} [ M_k O M_{k+1} ] \\ &= [ M_0 O M_{89} ] \\ &= \frac{ \tfrac{1}{2} \sin 89^\circ}{\cos 89^\circ} = \frac{\tfrac{1}{2} \cos 1^\circ}{\sin 1^\circ} , \end{align*} so k=0∑88cosk∘cos(k+1)∘1=sin21∘cos1∘, as desired. ■
Solution 2
First multiply both sides of the equation by sin1 , so the right hand side is sin1cos1 . Now by rewriting sin1=sin((k+1)−k)=sin(k+1)cos(k)+sin(k)cos(k+1) , we can derive the identity tan(n+1)−tan(n)=cos(n)cos(n+1)sin1 . Then the left hand side of the equation simplifies to tan89−tan0=tan89=cos89sin89=sin1cos1 as desired.
Solution 3
Multiply by sin1 . We get:
cos0cos1sin1+cos1cos2sin1+...+cos88cos89sin1=sin1cos1
we can write this as:
cos0cos1sin1−0+cos1cos2sin2−1+...+cos88cos89sin89−88=sin1cos1
This is an identity tana−tanb=cosacosbsin(a−b)
Therefore;
∑i=189[tank−tan(k−1)]=tan89−tan0=cot1 , because of telescoping.
but since we multiplied sin1 in the beginning, we need to divide by sin1 . So we get that:
cos0cos11+cos1cos21+cos2cos31+....+cos88cos891=sin21cos1 as desired. QED
Solution 4
Let S=cos0∘cos1∘1+cos1∘cos2∘1+...+cos88∘cos89∘1 .
Multiplying by sin1∘ gives Ssin1∘=cos0∘cos1∘sin(1∘−0∘)+...+cos88∘cos89∘sin(89∘−88∘)
Notice that cos0∘cos1∘sin((x+1∘)−x)=tan(x+1∘)−tanx after expanding the sine, and so Ssin1∘=(tan1∘−tan0∘)+⋯+(tan89∘−tan88∘)=tan89∘−tan0∘=cot1∘=sin1∘cos1∘, so S=sin21∘cos1∘.