Show that the tangent to f(x) = sinx at x=1 and the tangent to g(x) = sin^-1x at y=1 are equally inclined to y=x?

1 Answer
Mar 23, 2017

It should be intuitive that this is true of any functions that fit this criteria as the functions are inverses and so reflected in the line y=x, and for all points, not just x=1 for f(x) and y=1 for f^(-1)(x)

In this specific case we can prove the result:

f(x) = sinx

Differentiating wrt x we have:

f'(x) = cosx

When x=1 => f'(1) = cos1

And for the inverse:

g(x) = sin^-1(x)

When y=1 => g(x)=1

:. sin^-1(x) = 1
:. x = sin1

Differentiating wrt x we have:

g'(x) = 1/sqrt(1-x^2)

And so, when y=1 we have:

g'(sin1) = 1/sqrt(1-sin^2 1)
g'(sin1) = 1/sqrt(cos^2 1)
g'(sin1) = 1/cos 1

We can now calculate the inclinations of the tangents, Suppose:

the tangent line at x=1 for f(x) is at an inclination of alpha
the tangent line at y=1 for g(x) is at an inclination of beta
the tangent line of y=x is at an inclination of pi/4

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Then (by definition of the tangent and relation to the derivative), at those points;

tan alpha = cos1 ; tan beta = 1/cos1 and tan (pi/4) = 1

So our aim is to show that the angle between one tangent and #y=x is the same as the other. ie that:

beta - pi/4 = pi/4 - alpha => alpha + beta = pi/2

Using tan(A+B)=(tanA+tanB)/(1-tanAtanB) we have:

tan(alpha+beta) = (tanalpha+tanbeta)/(1-tanalphatanbeta)
" " = (cos1 +1/cos1)/(1-cos1 1/cos1)
" " = (cos1 +1/cos1)/0
" " = oo

:. alpha + beta = pi/2 QED

Or if you prefer, using tan(A-B)=(tanA-tanB)/(1+tanAtanB) we have:

tan(beta-pi/4) = (tanbeta+tan(pi/4))/(1-tanbetatan(pi/4))

" " = (1/cos1-1)/(1+1/cos1)

" " = ((1-cos1)/cos1) / ((cos1+1)/cos1)

" " = (1-cos1) / (cos1+1)

tan(pi/4-alpha) = (tan(pi/4)-tanalpha)/(1+tan(pi/4)tanalpha)

" " = (1-cos1)/(1+cos1)

" " = tan(beta-pi/4) QED