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Exercise 4.2 · Q3

Q.Is cos⁡−1(−x)=π−cos⁡−1(x)\cos^{-1}(-x) = \pi - \cos^{-1}(x) true? Justify your answer.

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✓ Free question

We verify the identity directly from the definition of cos⁡−1\cos^{-1}: if y=cos⁡−1xy=\cos^{-1}x, then π−y\pi-y is the unique angle in [0,π][0,\pi] whose cosine is −x-x, which is exactly the definition of cos⁡−1(−x)\cos^{-1}(-x).

Step 1. Let y=cos⁡−1xy=\cos^{-1}x, so x=cos⁡yx=\cos y with y∈[0,π]y\in[0,\pi].

Step 2. Consider the angle π−y\pi-y. Since y∈[0,π]y\in[0,\pi], we also have π−y∈[0,π]\pi-y\in[0,\pi].

Step 3. Compute cos⁡(π−y)\cos(\pi-y). cos⁡(π−y)=cos⁡πcos⁡y+sin⁡πsin⁡y=−cos⁡y=−x\cos(\pi-y)=\cos\pi\cos y+\sin\pi\sin y=-\cos y=-x.

Step 4. Identify π−y\pi-y as cos⁡−1(−x)\cos^{-1}(-x). Since π−y∈[0,π]\pi-y\in[0,\pi] and cos⁡(π−y)=−x\cos(\pi-y)=-x, by the definition of cos⁡−1\cos^{-1}, cos⁡−1(−x)=π−y=π−cos⁡−1x\cos^{-1}(-x)=\pi-y=\pi-\cos^{-1}x.

Step 5. Conclude. The identity holds for every x∈[−1,1]x\in[-1,1] (the domain of cos⁡−1\cos^{-1}).

✓Final answer

Yes, cos⁡−1(−x)=π−cos⁡−1(x)\cos^{-1}(-x)=\pi-\cos^{-1}(x) is true for every x∈[−1,1]x\in[-1,1].

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