What is the general solution for cos(4x)-3cos(2x)-1=0 ?

The general solution for cos(4x)-3cos(2x)-1=0 is x= pi/3+pin,x=(2pi)/3+pin

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Popular Trigonometry >

cos(4x)-3cos(2x)-1=0

Solution

cos (4 x) - 3 cos (2 x) - 1 = 0

Solution

x = \frac{π}{3} + πn, x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

Degrees

x = 6 0^{\circ} + 18 0^{\circ} n, x = 12 0^{\circ} + 18 0^{\circ} n

Solution steps

cos (4 x) - 3 cos (2 x) - 1 = 0

Rewrite using trig identities

- 1 + cos (4 x) - 3 cos (2 x)

cos (4 x) = 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 1

cos (4 x)

Rewrite as

= cos (2 \cdot 2 x)

Use the Double Angle identity:

cos (2 x) = 2 cos^{2} (x) - 1

cos (2 \cdot 2 x) = 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 1

= 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 1

= - 1 + 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 1 - 3 cos (2 x)

Simplify

- 1 + 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 1 - 3 cos (2 x) : 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 3 cos (2 x) - 2

- 1 + 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 1 - 3 cos (2 x)

Group like terms

= 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 3 cos (2 x) - 1 - 1

Subtract the numbers:

- 1 - 1 = - 2

= 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 3 cos (2 x) - 2

= 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 3 cos (2 x) - 2

- 2 + 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 3 cos (2 x) = 0

Solve by substitution

- 2 + 2 cos^{2} (2 x) - 3 cos (2 x) = 0

Let:

cos (2 x) = u

- 2 + 2 u^{2} - 3 u = 0

- 2 + 2 u^{2} - 3 u = 0 : u = 2, u = - \frac{1}{2}

- 2 + 2 u^{2} - 3 u = 0

Write in the standard form

a x^{2} + b x + c = 0

2 u^{2} - 3 u - 2 = 0

Solve with the quadratic formula

2 u^{2} - 3 u - 2 = 0

Quadratic Equation Formula:

For

a = 2, b = - 3, c = - 2

u_{1, 2} = \frac{- ( - 3 ) \pm ( - 3 ) ^{2} - 4 \cdot 2 ( - 2 )}{2 \cdot 2}

u_{1, 2} = \frac{- ( - 3 ) \pm ( - 3 ) ^{2} - 4 \cdot 2 ( - 2 )}{2 \cdot 2}

(- 3)^{2} - 4 \cdot 2 (- 2) = 5

(- 3)^{2} - 4 \cdot 2 (- 2)

Apply rule

- (- a) = a

= (- 3)^{2} + 4 \cdot 2 \cdot 2

Apply exponent rule:

(- a)^{n} = a^{n},

n

is even

(- 3)^{2} = 3^{2}

= 3^{2} + 4 \cdot 2 \cdot 2

Multiply the numbers:

4 \cdot 2 \cdot 2 = 16

= 3^{2} + 16

3^{2} = 9

= 9 + 16

Add the numbers:

9 + 16 = 25

= 25

Factor the number:

25 = 5^{2}

= 5^{2}

Apply radical rule:

n a^{n} = a

5^{2} = 5

= 5

u_{1, 2} = \frac{- ( - 3 ) \pm 5}{2 \cdot 2}

Separate the solutions

u_{1} = \frac{- ( - 3 ) + 5}{2 \cdot 2}, u_{2} = \frac{- ( - 3 ) - 5}{2 \cdot 2}

u = \frac{- ( - 3 ) + 5}{2 \cdot 2} : 2

\frac{- ( - 3 ) + 5}{2 \cdot 2}

Apply rule

- (- a) = a

= \frac{3 + 5}{2 \cdot 2}

Add the numbers:

3 + 5 = 8

= \frac{8}{2 \cdot 2}

Multiply the numbers:

2 \cdot 2 = 4

= \frac{8}{4}

Divide the numbers:

\frac{8}{4} = 2

= 2

u = \frac{- ( - 3 ) - 5}{2 \cdot 2} : - \frac{1}{2}

\frac{- ( - 3 ) - 5}{2 \cdot 2}

Apply rule

- (- a) = a

= \frac{3 - 5}{2 \cdot 2}

Subtract the numbers:

3 - 5 = - 2

= \frac{- 2}{2 \cdot 2}

Multiply the numbers:

2 \cdot 2 = 4

= \frac{- 2}{4}

Apply the fraction rule:

\frac{- a}{b} = - \frac{a}{b}

= - \frac{2}{4}

Cancel the common factor:

2

= - \frac{1}{2}

The solutions to the quadratic equation are:

u = 2, u = - \frac{1}{2}

Substitute back

u = cos (2 x)

cos (2 x) = 2, cos (2 x) = - \frac{1}{2}

cos (2 x) = 2, cos (2 x) = - \frac{1}{2}

cos (2 x) = 2 :

No Solution

cos (2 x) = 2

- 1 \leq cos (x) \leq 1

No Solution

cos (2 x) = - \frac{1}{2} : x = \frac{π}{3} + πn, x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

cos (2 x) = - \frac{1}{2}

General solutions for

cos (2 x) = - \frac{1}{2}

cos (x)

periodicity table with

2 πn

cycle:

x 0 \frac{π}{6} \frac{π}{4} \frac{π}{3} \frac{π}{2} \frac{2 π}{3} \frac{3 π}{4} \frac{5 π}{6} cos (x) 1 \frac{3}{2} \frac{2}{2} \frac{1}{2} 0 - \frac{1}{2} - \frac{2}{2} - \frac{3}{2} x π \frac{7 π}{6} \frac{5 π}{4} \frac{4 π}{3} \frac{3 π}{2} \frac{5 π}{3} \frac{7 π}{4} \frac{11 π}{6} cos (x) - 1 - \frac{3}{2} - \frac{2}{2} - \frac{1}{2} 0 \frac{1}{2} \frac{2}{2} \frac{3}{2}

2 x = \frac{2 π}{3} + 2 πn, 2 x = \frac{4 π}{3} + 2 πn

2 x = \frac{2 π}{3} + 2 πn, 2 x = \frac{4 π}{3} + 2 πn

Solve

2 x = \frac{2 π}{3} + 2 πn : x = \frac{π}{3} + πn

2 x = \frac{2 π}{3} + 2 πn

Divide both sides by

2

2 x = \frac{2 π}{3} + 2 πn

Divide both sides by

2

\frac{2 x}{2} = \frac{\frac{2 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2}

Simplify

\frac{2 x}{2} = \frac{\frac{2 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2}

Simplify

\frac{2 x}{2} : x

\frac{2 x}{2}

Divide the numbers:

\frac{2}{2} = 1

= x

Simplify

\frac{\frac{2 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2} : \frac{π}{3} + πn

\frac{\frac{2 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2}

\frac{\frac{2 π}{3}}{2} = \frac{π}{3}

\frac{\frac{2 π}{3}}{2}

Apply the fraction rule:

\frac{\frac{b}{c}}{a} = \frac{b}{c \cdot a}

= \frac{2 π}{3 \cdot 2}

Multiply the numbers:

3 \cdot 2 = 6

= \frac{2 π}{6}

Cancel the common factor:

2

= \frac{π}{3}

\frac{2 πn}{2} = πn

\frac{2 πn}{2}

Divide the numbers:

\frac{2}{2} = 1

= πn

= \frac{π}{3} + πn

x = \frac{π}{3} + πn

x = \frac{π}{3} + πn

x = \frac{π}{3} + πn

Solve

2 x = \frac{4 π}{3} + 2 πn : x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

2 x = \frac{4 π}{3} + 2 πn

Divide both sides by

2

2 x = \frac{4 π}{3} + 2 πn

Divide both sides by

2

\frac{2 x}{2} = \frac{\frac{4 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2}

Simplify

\frac{2 x}{2} = \frac{\frac{4 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2}

Simplify

\frac{2 x}{2} : x

\frac{2 x}{2}

Divide the numbers:

\frac{2}{2} = 1

= x

Simplify

\frac{\frac{4 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2} : \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

\frac{\frac{4 π}{3}}{2} + \frac{2 πn}{2}

\frac{\frac{4 π}{3}}{2} = \frac{2 π}{3}

\frac{\frac{4 π}{3}}{2}

Apply the fraction rule:

\frac{\frac{b}{c}}{a} = \frac{b}{c \cdot a}

= \frac{4 π}{3 \cdot 2}

Multiply the numbers:

3 \cdot 2 = 6

= \frac{4 π}{6}

Cancel the common factor:

2

= \frac{2 π}{3}

\frac{2 πn}{2} = πn

\frac{2 πn}{2}

Divide the numbers:

\frac{2}{2} = 1

= πn

= \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

x = \frac{π}{3} + πn, x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

Combine all the solutions

x = \frac{π}{3} + πn, x = \frac{2 π}{3} + πn

Graph

Popular Examples

sin(2x)=0.3,-180\circ <= x<= 180

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the general solution for cos(4x)-3cos(2x)-1=0 ?
The general solution for cos(4x)-3cos(2x)-1=0 is x= pi/3+pin,x=(2pi)/3+pin