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Exercise 3.5 · Q73

Q.In △ABC\triangle ABC, A+B+C=πA+B+C=\pi; show that cos⁡A+cos⁡B−cos⁡C=4cos⁡A2cos⁡B2sin⁡C2−1\cos A+\cos B-\cos C=4\cos\dfrac{A}{2}\cos\dfrac{B}{2}\sin\dfrac{C}{2}-1

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Step 1: cos⁡A+cos⁡B=2cos⁡A+B2cos⁡A−B2\cos A+\cos B=2\cos\dfrac{A+B}{2}\cos\dfrac{A-B}{2}; since A+B2=π2−C2\dfrac{A+B}{2}=\dfrac{\pi}{2}-\dfrac{C}{2}, cos⁡A+B2=sin⁡C2\cos\dfrac{A+B}{2}=\sin\dfrac{C}{2}.

Step 2: So cos⁡A+cos⁡B=2sin⁡C2cos⁡A−B2\cos A+\cos B=2\sin\dfrac{C}{2}\cos\dfrac{A-B}{2}.

Step 3: −cos⁡C=−(1−2sin⁡2C2)=2sin⁡2C2−1=2sin⁡C2(sin⁡C2)−1-\cos C=-(1-2\sin^2\dfrac{C}{2})=2\sin^2\dfrac{C}{2}-1=2\sin\dfrac{C}{2}\left(\sin\dfrac{C}{2}\right)-1; write sin⁡C2=cos⁡A+B2\sin\dfrac{C}{2}=\cos\dfrac{A+B}{2}.

Step 4: LHS =2sin⁡C2[cos⁡A−B2+cos⁡A+B2]−1=2sin⁡C2⋅2cos⁡A2cos⁡B2−1=4cos⁡A2cos⁡B2sin⁡C2−1=2\sin\dfrac{C}{2}\left[\cos\dfrac{A-B}{2}+\cos\dfrac{A+B}{2}\right]-1=2\sin\dfrac{C}{2}\cdot2\cos\dfrac{A}{2}\cos\dfrac{B}{2}-1=4\cos\dfrac{A}{2}\cos\dfrac{B}{2}\sin\dfrac{C}{2}-1.

✓Final answer

Identity proved: cos⁡A+cos⁡B−cos⁡C=4cos⁡A2cos⁡B2sin⁡C2−1\cos A+\cos B-\cos C=4\cos\dfrac{A}{2}\cos\dfrac{B}{2}\sin\dfrac{C}{2}-1.

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