Homework 1 Solutions

Math 362, Spring 2018

Problem 1.8.9
Establish the identity

1 − z n+1
1 + z + z2 + · · · + zn = (z 6= 1)
1−z
and then use it to derive Lagrange’s trigonometric identity:

1 sin[(2n + 1)θ/2]
1 + cos θ + cos 2θ + · · · + cos nθ = + (0 < θ < 2π).
2 2 sin(θ/2)

Let S = 1 + z + z 2 + · · · + z n . Then

(1 − z)S = S − zS = (1 + z + z 2 + · · · + z n ) − (z + z 2 + z 3 + · · · + z n+1 ) = 1 − z n+1

and the first identity follows.

For the second identity, substituting z = eiθ gives

1 − e(n+1)iθ
1 + eiθ + e2iθ + · · · + eniθ = .
1 − eiθ

Multiplying the numerator and denominator by ie−iθ/2 yields

ie−iθ/2 − ie(2n+1)iθ/2 ie−iθ/2 − ie(2n+1)iθ/2

1 + eiθ + e2iθ + · · · + eniθ = = .
ie−iθ/2 − ieiθ/2 2 sin(θ/2)

Then

1 + cos θ + cos 2θ + · · · + cos nθ = Re 1 + eiθ + e2iθ + · · · + eniθ

Re ie−iθ/2 − ie(2n+1)iθ/2
 −iθ/2

− ie(2n+1)iθ/2

ie
= Re =
2 sin(θ/2) 2 sin(θ/2)

sin(θ/2) + sin[(2n + 1)θ/2] 1 sin[(2n + 1)θ/2]

= = +
2 sin(θ/2) 2 2 sin(θ/2)

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Problem 1.8.10
Use de Moivre’s formula (Sec. 7) to derive the following trigonometric identities:
(a) cos 3θ = cos3 θ − 3 cos θ sin2 θ (b) sin 3θ = 3 cos2 θ sin θ − sin3 θ

By de Moivre’s formula,

cos 3θ + i sin 3θ = (cos θ + i sin θ)3

= cos3 θ + 3 cos2 θ(i sin θ) + 3 cos θ(i sin θ)2 + (i sin θ)3

= cos3 θ + 3i cos2 θ sin θ − 3 cos θ sin2 θ − i sin3 θ

Taking the real and imaginary parts yields the desired results.

Problem 1.8.11

Part (a)
Use the binomial formula (Sec. 3) and de Moivre’s formula (Sec. 7) to write
n  
X n
cos nθ + i sin nθ = cosn−k θ(i sin θ)k (n = 0, 1, 2, . . .).
k=0
k

Then define the integer m by means of the equations

(
n/2 if n is even,
m=
(n − 1)/2 if n is odd

and use the above summation to show that [compare with Exercise 10(a)]
m  
X n
cos nθ = (−1)k cosn−2k θ sin2k θ.
k=0
2k

Let n ≥ 0. By de Moivre’s formula and the binomial formula,

n  
n
X n
cos nθ + i sin nθ = (cos θ + i sin θ) = cosn−k θ(i sin θ)k .
k=0
k

Then n  
X n k
cos nθ = Re(cos θ + i sin θ) = Re(i ) cosn−k θ sink θ.
k=0
k

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But ik is imaginary when k is odd, so the odd-numbered terms in this summation are zero.
We can write a summation that includes only the even terms by letting k = 2j:
m  
X
2j n
cos nθ = Re(i ) cosn−2j θ sin2j θ.
j=0
k

The upper limit m of the summation should be half of the largest even number in {1, 2, . . . , n}.
In particular, m = n/2 if n is even, and m = (n − 1)/2 if n is odd. Finally, observe that
i2j = (i2 )j = (−1)j , so
m  
X n
cos nθ = (−1)j cosn−2j θ sin2j θ.
j=0
k

Part (b)
Write x = cos θ in the final summation in part (a) to show that it becomes a polynomial
m
X n
Tn (x) = (−1)k xn−2k (1 − x2 )k
k=0
2k

Observe that sin2j θ = (sin2 θ)j = (1 − cos2 θ)j , so by part (a)

m  
X n
cos nθ = (−1)j cosn−2j θ (1 − cos2 θ)j .
j=0
2j

Substituting x = cos θ now yields the desired result.

Problem 1.10.5.

Part (a)
Let a denote any fixed real number and show that the two square roots of a + i are
√
 
α
± A exp i
2
√
where A = a2 + 1 and α = Arg(a + i).
√
This follows immediately from the fact that |a + i| = a2 + 12 = A.

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Part (b)
With the aid of the trigonometric identities (4) in Example 3 of Sec. 10, show that the square
roots obtained in part (a) can be written
1 √ √

±√ A+a+i A−a .
2

Observe that
r r
1 + cos θ 1 − cos θ
cos(θ/2) = and sin(θ/2) =
2 2
for 0 ≤ θ ≤ π. Then
√ √
 
α

± A exp i = ± A cos(α/2) + i sin(α/2)
2
√
r r 
1 + cos α 1 − cos α
=± A +i .
2 2

But a + i = Aeiα = A cos α + iA sin α, so cos α = a/A. Then

r r
√ √
  
α 1 + a/A 1 − a/A
± A exp i =± A +i
2 2 2
1 √ √

= ±√ A+a+i A−a .
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