# Tag Archives: trigonometric identities

## Guest Post: An Easy Way To Learn The Basic Trigonometric Identities

First learn the structure. Learn the positions of the six trigonometry functions. First comes the $\sin$ function, underneath it comes the $\cos$ function.

Then in the next column comes the $\csc$ function, underneath it comes the $\sec$ function. And in the last column comes the $\cot$ function and underneath it comes the $\tan$ function. Learning this position is important and just one time. The six trig functions are specially placed in the above given places, so as to serve our need.  Continue reading

## The Proof of the Tangent Half-Angle Formula

In this post, we prove the following trigonometric identity:

$\displaystyle \tan \frac{\theta}{2} = \frac{\sin\theta}{1 + \cos \theta} = \frac{1 - \cos \theta}{\sin \theta}$.

Proof

Consider a semi-circle with “center” $O$ and diameter $AB$ and radius equal to 1 unit as shown below.  If we let $\angle BOC =\theta$, then by the Inscribed Angle Theorem, $\angle CAB = \frac{\theta}{2}$.

Draw $CD$ perpendicular to $OB$ as shown in the second figure. We can compute for the sine and cosine of $\theta$ which equal to the lengths of $CD$ and $OD$, respectively. In effect, $BD = 1 - \cos \theta$ and $AD = 1 + \cos \theta$. Continue reading