Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /2 of 11

Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National olympiad Find the answer

Solve for xRx \in R:
sin3x(1+cotx)+cos3x(1+tanx)=cos2x \sin^3{x}(1+\cot{x})+\cos^3{x}(1+\tan{x})=\cos{2x}

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

To solve the given equation for xRx \in \mathbb{R}:
sin3x(1+cotx)+cos3x(1+tanx)=cos2x, \sin^3{x}(1+\cot{x})+\cos^3{x}(1+\tan{x})=\cos{2x},
we start by simplifying the expression.

### Step 1: Simplify the given equation
We know from the trigonometric identities:
cotx=cosxsinxandtanx=sinxcosx. \cot{x} = \frac{\cos{x}}{\sin{x}} \quad \text{and} \quad \tan{x} = \frac{\sin{x}}{\cos{x}}.
Substituting these into the equation, we have:
sin3x(1+cosxsinx)+cos3x(1+sinxcosx)=cos2x. \sin^3{x}\left(1 + \frac{\cos{x}}{\sin{x}}\right) + \cos^3{x}\left(1 + \frac{\sin{x}}{\cos{x}}\right) = \cos{2x}.

Simplifying:
sin3x+cosxsin2x+cos3x+sinxcos2x=cos2x \sin^3{x} + \cos{x}\sin^2{x} + \cos^3{x} + \sin{x}\cos^2{x} = \cos{2x}

Combining terms:
sin3x+cos3x+sinxcos2x+cosxsin2x=cos2x \sin^3{x} + \cos^3{x} + \sin{x}\cos^2{x} + \cos{x}\sin^2{x} = \cos{2x}

### Step 2: Use Trigonometric Identities
Use the identity for sum of cubes, a3+b3=(a+b)(a2ab+b2)a^3 + b^3 = (a + b)(a^2 - ab + b^2):
a=sinx,b=cosx a = \sin{x}, \quad b = \cos{x}

Since sin2x+cos2x=1\sin^2{x} + \cos^2{x} = 1, the term (sinx+cosx)(1sinxcosx)(\sin{x} + \cos{x})(1 - \sin{x}\cos{x}) simplifies part of our identity:
sin3x+cos3x=(sinx+cosx)(sin2xsinxcosx+cos2x) \sin^3{x} + \cos^3{x} = (\sin{x} + \cos{x})(\sin^2{x} - \sin{x}\cos{x} + \cos^2{x})

Simplifies further to:
sin3x+cos3x=(sinx+cosx)(1sinxcosx) \sin^3{x} + \cos^3{x} = (\sin{x} + \cos{x})(1 - \sin{x}\cos{x})
Thus:
(sinx+cosx)(1sinxcosx)+sinxcosx(sinx+cosx)=cos2x (\sin{x} + \cos{x})(1 - \sin{x}\cos{x}) + \sin{x}\cos{x}(\sin{x} + \cos{x}) = \cos{2x}

Factor out (sinx+cosx)(\sin{x} + \cos{x}):
(sinx+cosx)(1sinxcosx+sinxcosx)=cos2x (\sin{x} + \cos{x})(1 - \sin{x}\cos{x} + \sin{x}\cos{x}) = \cos{2x}

Simplify to:
(sinx+cosx)=cos2x (\sin{x} + \cos{x}) = \cos{2x}

### Step 3: Solve for xx
Using the identity for the double angle:
cos2x=cos2xsin2x=2cos2x1 \cos{2x} = \cos^2{x} - \sin^2{x} = 2\cos^2{x} - 1

Equating:
sinx+cosx=2cos2x1 \sin{x} + \cos{x} = 2\cos^2{x} - 1

Let u=sinx+cosxu = \sin{x} + \cos{x}, and given that (sinx+cosx)2=sin2x+2sinxcosx+cos2x=1+2sinxcosx(\sin{x} + \cos{x})^2 = \sin^2{x} + 2\sin{x}\cos{x} + \cos^2{x} = 1 + 2\sin{x}\cos{x},
u2=1+2sinxcosx u^2 = 1 + 2\sin{x}\cos{x}

For solutions:
sinx+cosx=0sinx=cosxtanx=1 \sin{x} + \cos{x} = 0 \Rightarrow \sin{x} = -\cos{x} \Rightarrow \tan{x} = -1

The solutions occur at:
x=mππ4,mZ. x = m\pi - \frac{\pi}{4}, \quad m \in \mathbb{Z}.

Thus, the solution for xx is:
x=mππ4, mZ \boxed{x = m\pi - \frac{\pi}{4}, \ m \in \mathbb{Z}}

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: Omni-MATH, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.