Solving Trigonometric

Equations
 1
sin x = is a trigonometric equation.
2
x = 6π is one of infinitely many solutions of y = sin x.
y
-19π -11π -7π π 5π 13π 17π 25π
6 6 6 6 1 6 6 6 6 1
x y=2
-3π -2π -π π 2π 3π 4π
-1

All the solutions for x can be expressed in the form of

a general solution.
π π
x = 6 + 2k π and x = 5 6 + 2k π (k = 0, ±1, ± 2, ± 3, ).
Find the general solution for the equation sec θ = 2.
1 1
From cos θ = , it follows that cos θ = .
sec θ 2
1 π 1
All values of θ for which cos θ = y cos( 3 + 2kπ) =
2 P 2
are solutions of the equation.
Two solutions are θ = ± π . 1
3
x
1
All angles that are coterminal 2
with ± π are also solutions and
3
can be expressed by adding integer Q
-π 1
multiples of 2π. cos( 3 + 2kπ) =
2

The general solution can be written as θ = ± π + 2kπ .

3
Example: Solve tan x = 1.
The graph of y = 1 intersects the graph of y = tan x infinitely
many times. y

- π – 2π -π–π π π + π π + 2π π + 3π
4 4 4 4 4 4
y=1 x
-π π 2π 3π

y = tan(x)

x = -3π x = -π x = π x = 3π x = 5π
2 2 2 2 2
Points of intersection are at x = π and every multiple of π added or
π 4
subtracted from 4 .
General solution: x = π + kπ for k any integer.
4
Example:
Solve the equation 3sin x + 2 = sin x for − π ≤ x ≤ π .
2 2

3sin x + 2 = sin x y

3sin x − sin x + 2 = 0
2sin x + 2 = 0 Collect like terms. 1 x
-π
2 1 4
sin x = −
2 2
y=-
2

x = −4π is the only solution in the interval − 2π ≤ x ≤ 2π .

Example: To find all solutions of cos4(2x) = 9 .
16
Take the fourth root of both sides to obtain:
cos(2x)= ± 3 y
2

From the unit circle, the π 1

π π
solutions for 2θ are 6 x
-π
2θ = ± 6π + kπ, 6
k any integer.
x=- 3 x= 3
2 2

π + k ( π ), for k any integer.

Answer: θ = ± 12
2
Find all solutions of the trigonometric equation:
tan2 θ + tan θ = 0.

tan2 θ + tan θ = 0 Original equation

tan θ (tan θ +1) = 0 Factor.

Therefore, tan θ = 0 or tan θ = -1.

The solutions for tan θ = 0 are the values θ = kπ,

for k any integer.
The solutions for tan θ = 1 are θ = - 4π + kπ,
for k any integer.
The trigonometric equation 2 sin2 θ + 3 sin θ + 1 = 0 is
quadratic in form.

2 sin2 θ + 3 sin θ + 1 = 0 implies that

(2 sin θ + 1)(sin θ + 1) = 0.
Therefore, 2 sin θ + 1 = 0 or sin θ + 1 = 0.
It follows that sin θ = - 1 or sin θ = -1.
2

Solutions:
θ = - π + 2kπ and θ = 7π + 2kπ, from sin θ = - 1
6 6 2
θ = -π + 2kπ, from sin θ = -1
Example: Solve 8 sin θ = 3 cos2 θ with θ in the
interval [0, 2π].
Rewrite the equation in terms of only one trigonometric function.

8 sin θ = 3(1− sin2 θ ) Use the Pythagorean Identity.

3 sin2 θ + 8 sin θ − 3 = 0. A “quadratic” equation with sin x
as the variable
(3 sin θ − 1)(sin θ + 3) = 0 Factor.
Therefore, 3 sin θ − 1 = 0 or sin θ + 3 = 0
Solutions: sin θ = 1 or sin θ = -3
3
θ = sin−1( 1 ) = 0.3398 and θ = π − sin−1( 1) = 2.8107.
3 3

s
Solve: 5cos2 θ + cos θ – 3 = 0 for 0 ≤ θ ≤ π.

The equation is quadratic. Let y = cos θ and solve 5y2 + y − 3 = 0.

y = (-1 ± 61 ) = 0.6810249 or -0.8810249
10
Therefore, cos θ = 0.6810249 or –0.8810249.

Use the calculator to find values of θ in 0 ≤ θ ≤ π.

This is the range of the inverse cosine function.

The solutions are:

θ = cos −1(0.6810249 ) = 0.8216349 and
θ = cos −1(−0.8810249) = 2.6488206
Example: Find the intersection points of the graphs of
y = sin θ and y = cos θ. y
π + kπ
4
1
The two solutions 5 -π -π
4 4 x
for θ between 0 and
2π are π and 5π . 1
4 4 π + kπ
4

The graphs of y = sin θ and y = cos θ intersect at

points where sin θ = cos θ.
This is true only for 45-45-90 triangles.
The general solution is θ = 4π + kπ, for k any integer.