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Exercise 3.9 · Q11

Q.Derive the Projection formula from

(i) Law of Sines,
(ii) Law of Cosines.
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  1. Substituting the sine-rule expressions for b,cb,c turns bcos⁡C+ccos⁡Bb\cos C+c\cos B into 2Rsin⁡(B+C)=2Rsin⁡A=a2R\sin(B+C)=2R\sin A=a directly.
  2. Substituting the cosine-rule expressions for cos⁡B,cos⁡C\cos B,\cos C and simplifying algebraically also collapses to aa.
  1. Derivation from the Law of Sines. Step 1. From the sine rule, b=2Rsin⁡Bb=2R\sin B and c=2Rsin⁡Cc=2R\sin C. Step 2. Substitute into bcos⁡C+ccos⁡Bb\cos C+c\cos B:

    bcos⁡C+ccos⁡B=2Rsin⁡Bcos⁡C+2Rsin⁡Ccos⁡B=2R(sin⁡Bcos⁡C+cos⁡Bsin⁡C)=2Rsin⁡(B+C).b\cos C+c\cos B=2R\sin B\cos C+2R\sin C\cos B=2R(\sin B\cos C+\cos B\sin C)=2R\sin(B+C).

    Step 3. Since B+C=π−AB+C=\pi-A, sin⁡(B+C)=sin⁡A\sin(B+C)=\sin A, so

    bcos⁡C+ccos⁡B=2Rsin⁡A=a.b\cos C+c\cos B=2R\sin A=a.

    This is exactly the projection formula a=bcos⁡C+ccos⁡Ba=b\cos C+c\cos B. The other two projection formulas follow the same way, cycling a→b→c→aa\to b\to c\to a.
  2. Derivation from the Law of Cosines. Step 1. From the cosine rule, cos⁡B=a2+c2−b22ac\cos B=\dfrac{a^2+c^2-b^2}{2ac} and cos⁡C=a2+b2−c22ab\cos C=\dfrac{a^2+b^2-c^2}{2ab}. Step 2. Substitute into bcos⁡C+ccos⁡Bb\cos C+c\cos B:

    bcos⁡C+ccos⁡B=b⋅a2+b2−c22ab+c⋅a2+c2−b22ac=a2+b2−c22a+a2+c2−b22a.b\cos C+c\cos B=b\cdot\frac{a^2+b^2-c^2}{2ab}+c\cdot\frac{a^2+c^2-b^2}{2ac}=\frac{a^2+b^2-c^2}{2a}+\frac{a^2+c^2-b^2}{2a}.

    Step 3. Add the two fractions (common denominator 2a2a): …

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