[Math] Finding all Trigonometric Solutions of an Equation within a Given Interval

trigonometry

My question is:
How do I find all solutions in the interval $[0, 2\pi)$ of the equation $\cos 2x – \sin x = 1$?

Any pointers into the direction I should be taking would be very helpful.
Thank you in advance.

Best Answer

Arturo's hint already tells you how to proceed with the computations. To check whether the solutions that you calculate seem plausible, and to make sure that you haven't missed any solutions, it's useful to write the equation as $$\cos 2x = \sin x + 1.$$ Then you can easily plot the curves $y=\cos 2x$ (which looks like the familiar $y=\cos x$ except that it oscillates twice as fast) and $y=\sin x+1$ (the familiar sine curve, but moved one unit upwards), and see roughly where they intersect (which they do at the $x$-values that satisfy the equation).

(It should look like this, but try it yourself before you peek!)

Related Question