2
$\begingroup$

enter image description here

Does anyone know how the equation in red was derived?

  • 0
    Write $t = \cos(\theta /4) / \sin(\theta /4)$ and simplify.2017-01-19

1 Answers 1

3

First part:

$$\cos\theta=\cos^2\frac\theta2-\sin^2\frac\theta2=\left(\cos^2\frac\theta4-\sin^2\frac\theta4\right)^2-4\sin^2\frac\theta4\cos^2\frac\theta4.$$

Second part:

$$\cos^2\frac\theta4=\frac1{1+\tan^2\frac\theta4}=\frac1{1+t^2},\\ \sin^2\frac\theta4=\tan^2\frac\theta4\cos^2\frac\theta4=\frac{t^2}{1+t^2}.$$


But $t=\tan\frac\theta4$, not $\cot\frac\theta4$ nor $\arctan\frac\theta4$ !

  • 0
    I got this question from a book. "Differential Geometry - Martin Lipschultz"2017-01-19
  • 0
    @Isaac: obviously. But that doesn't make $t=\text{Tan}^{-1}(\theta/4)$.2017-01-19