Section 5.

5 Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Their

Graphs
DEFINITION: The inverse sine function, denoted by sin−1 x (or arcsin x), is defined to be
the inverse of the restricted sine function
π π
sin x, − ≤ x ≤
2 2

DEFINITION: The inverse cosine function, denoted by cos−1 x (or arccos x), is defined to
be the inverse of the restricted cosine function
cos x, 0 ≤ x ≤ π

DEFINITION: The inverse tangent function, denoted by tan−1 x (or arctan x), is defined
to be the inverse of the restricted tangent function
π π
tan x, − < x <
2 2

DEFINITION: The inverse cotangent function, denoted by cot−1 x (or arccot x), is defined
to be the inverse of the restricted cotangent function
cot x, 0 < x < π

1
DEFINITION: The inverse secant function, denoted by sec−1 x (or arcsec x), is defined to
be the inverse of the restricted secant function
[ ]
sec x, x ∈ [0, π/2) ∪ [π, 3π/2) or x ∈ [0, π/2) ∪ (π/2, π] in some other textbooks

DEFINITION: The inverse cosecant function, denoted by csc−1 x (or arccsc x), is defined
to be the inverse of the restricted cosecant function
[ ]
csc x, x ∈ (0, π/2] ∪ (π, 3π/2] or x ∈ [−π/2, 0) ∪ (0, π/2] in some other textbooks

IMPORTANT: Do not confuse

sin−1 x, cos−1 x, tan−1 x, cot−1 x, sec−1 x, csc−1 x

with
1 1 1 1 1 1
, , , , ,
sin x cos x tan x cot x sec x csc x

FUNCTION DOMAIN RANGE

−1
sin x [−1, 1] [−π/2, π/2]
−1
cos x [−1, 1] [0, π]
tan−1 x (−∞, +∞) (−π/2, π/2)
cot−1 x (−∞, +∞) (0, π)
−1
sec x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) [0, π/2) ∪ [π, 3π/2)
csc−1 x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) (0, π/2] ∪ (π, 3π/2]

2
FUNCTION DOMAIN RANGE
sin−1 x [−1, 1] [−π/2, π/2]
cos−1 x [−1, 1] [0, π]
tan−1 x (−∞, +∞) (−π/2, π/2)
cot−1 x (−∞, +∞) (0, π)
sec−1 x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) [0, π/2) ∪ [π, 3π/2)
csc−1 x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) (0, π/2] ∪ (π, 3π/2]

EXAMPLES:
−1 π π π [ π π]
(a) sin 1 = , since sin = 1 and ∈ − , .
2 2 2 2 2

π ( π) π [ π π]
(b) sin−1 (−1) = − , since sin − = −1 and − ∈ − , .
2 2 2 2 2
[ π π]
(c) sin−1 0 = 0, since sin 0 = 0 and 0 ∈ − , .
2 2

1 π π 1 π [ π π]
(d) sin−1 = , since sin = and ∈ − , .
2 6 6 2 6 2 2
√ √
−1 3 π π 3 π [ π π]
(e) sin = , since sin = and ∈ − , .
2 3 3 2 3 2 2
√ √
−1 2 π π 2 π [ π π]
(f) sin = , since sin = and ∈ − , .
2 4 4 2 4 2 2
EXAMPLES:
√ √
−1 π −1 −1 −1 1 π −1 3 π −1 2 π
cos 0= , cos 1 = 0, cos (−1) = π, cos = , cos = , cos =
2 2 3 2 6 2 4
( )
π π √ π 1 π 1 π
tan−1 1 = , tan−1 (−1) = − , tan−1 3= , tan−1 √ = , tan−1 − √ =−
4 4 3 3 6 3 6

EXAMPLES: Find sec−1 1, sec−1 (−1), and sec−1 (−2).

3
FUNCTION DOMAIN RANGE
sin−1 x [−1, 1] [−π/2, π/2]
cos−1 x [−1, 1] [0, π]
tan−1 x (−∞, +∞) (−π/2, π/2)
cot−1 x (−∞, +∞) (0, π)
sec−1 x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) [0, π/2) ∪ [π, 3π/2)
csc−1 x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) (0, π/2] ∪ (π, 3π/2]

EXAMPLES: Find sec−1 1, sec−1 (−1), and sec−1 (−2).

Solution: We have
4π
sec−1 1 = 0, sec−1 (−1) = π, sec−1 (−2) =
3
since
4π
sec 0 = 1, sec π = −1, sec = −2
3
and
4π [ π ) [ 3π )
0, π, ∈ 0, ∪ π,
3 2 2
2π
Note that sec is also −2, but
3
2π
sec−1 (−2) 6=
3
since
2π [ π ) [ 3π )
6∈ 0, ∪ π,
3 2 2

EXAMPLES: Find
√ 2
tan−1 0 cot−1 0 cot−1 1 sec−1 2 csc−1 2 csc−1 √
3

4
FUNCTION DOMAIN RANGE
sin−1 x [−1, 1] [−π/2, π/2]
cos−1 x [−1, 1] [0, π]
tan−1 x (−∞, +∞) (−π/2, π/2)
cot−1 x (−∞, +∞) (0, π)
sec−1 x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) [0, π/2) ∪ [π, 3π/2)
csc−1 x (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, +∞) (0, π/2] ∪ (π, 3π/2]

EXAMPLES: We have
π π √ π π 2 π
tan−1 0 = 0, cot−1 0 = , cot−1 1 = , sec−1 2= , csc−1 2 = , csc−1 √ =
2 4 4 6 3 3

EXAMPLES: Evaluate ( )
( π) ( π) 7π
(a) sin arcsin , arcsin sin , and arcsin sin .
6 6 6
( ( )
π) ( π) 8π
(b) sin arcsin , arcsin sin , and arcsin sin .
7 7 7
( ( )) ( ) ( )
2 2π 9π
(c) cos arccos − , arccos cos , and arccos cos .
5 5 5
Solution: Since arcsin x is the inverse of the restricted sine function, we have

sin(arcsin x) = x if x ∈ [−1, 1] and arcsin(sin x) = x if x ∈ [−π/2, π/2]

Therefore
( π) ( π) π
(a) sin arcsin = arcsin sin = , but
6 6 6
( ) ( )
7π 1 π
arcsin sin = arcsin − =−
6 2 6
or
( ) ( (
7π π )) ( π) ( π) π
arcsin sin = arcsin sin π + = arcsin − sin = − arcsin sin =−
6 6 6 6 6
( π) ( π) π
(b) sin arcsin = arcsin sin = , but
7 7 7
( ) ( (π )) (
8π π) ( π) π
arcsin sin = arcsin sin +π = arcsin − sin = − arcsin sin =−
7 7 7 7 7

(c) Similarly, since arccos x is the inverse of the restricted cosine function, we have

cos(arccos x) = x if x ∈ [−1, 1] and arccos(cos x) = x if x ∈ [0, π]

( ( )) ( )
2 2 2π 2π
Therefore cos arccos − = − and arccos cos = , but
5 5 5 5
( ) ( (
9π π )) ( π) π
arccos cos = arccos cos 2π − = arccos cos =
5 5 5 5
5