How do you solve sinx = 1 - cosx over the interval (0, 2pi]?

#sinx = 1 - cosx# solve over the interval #[0,2pi]#

1 Answer
Feb 15, 2018

The final solutions are #x=2pik,pi/2+2pik#.

Explanation:

Use the modified Pythagorean identity:

#sin^2x+cos^2x=1#

#=>sin^2x=1-cos^2x#

First, square both sides of the equation:

#sinx = 1 - cosx#

#sin^2x=(1-cosx)^2#

#sin^2x=1-2cosx+cos^2x#

#0=1-2cosx+cos^2x-sin^2x#

#0=1-2cosx+cos^2x-(1-cos^2x)#

#0=1-2cosx+cos^2x-1+cos^2x#

#0=1-1-2cosx+2cos^2x#

#0=2cos^2x-2cosx#

#0=cos^2x-cosx#

#0=cosx(cosx-1)#

#cosx=0, cosx=1#

The solutions for #cosx=0# are #pi/2# and #(3pi)/2#, and the solution for #cosx=1# is #0#.

Now, plug all these values back into the original equation to make sure they hold true:

#sin(pi/2) stackrel(?)= 1-cos(pi/2)#

#1stackrel(?)=1-0#
#1=1#

The solution #pi/2# works.

#sin((3pi)/2)stackrel(?)=1-cos((3pi)/2)#

#-1stackrel(?)=1-0#
#-1!=1#

The solution #(3pi)/2# doesn't work.

#sin(0)stackrel(?)=1-cos(0)#

#0stackrel(?)=1-1#

#0=0#

The solution #0# works.

The final solutions are #pi/2# and #0#. Now, we have to add #2pik# to each of them, to represent that the solution would still be valid after any full rotation (#k# represents any integer). The full answer is now:

#x=0+2pik,pi/2+2pik#