Trigonometry problem: $\sin^4 \frac {\pi}{7} + \sin^4 \frac {3\pi}{7} + \sin^4 \frac {5\pi}{7} = \frac {a}{b}$

trigonometry

The question:

$$\sin^4 \frac {\pi}{7} + \sin^4 \frac {3\pi}{7} + \sin^4 \frac {5\pi}{7} = \frac {a}{b} $$

Find $a+b$.


My attempt:

$$\sin^4 \theta = (\sin^2 \theta)^2 = \left(\frac{1-\cos2\theta}{2}\right)^2 \\ = \frac {\cos4\theta – 4\cos2\theta+3}{8}$$

So, using this result, the question simplifies to:

$$\frac {\cos \frac{4\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{12\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{20\pi}{7} – 4 (\cos \frac{2\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{6\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{10\pi}{7})+9}{8}$$

I tried using the identity $\cos A+\cos B=2\cos\frac{A+B}{2}\cos\frac{A-B}{2}$ but it just doesn't get shorter. I assume that this question is easily solvable using trigonometric identities, but I would also really appreciate alternate solutions not using pure trigonometry.

Best Answer

Using the identity $2\sin A\cos B = \sin(A+B) + \sin(A - B)$, we have $$ \begin{align*} 2\sin\frac{2\pi}{7}\cos\frac{2\pi}{7} &= \sin\frac{4\pi}{7} + \sin(0) = \sin\frac{4\pi}{7}\\ 2\sin\frac{2\pi}{7}\cos\frac{6\pi}{7} &= \sin\frac{8\pi}{7} + \sin\frac{-4\pi}{7} = -\sin\frac{\pi}{7} - \sin\frac{4\pi}{7} \\ 2\sin\frac{2\pi}{7}\cos\frac{10\pi}{7} &= \sin\frac{12\pi}{7} + \sin\frac{-8\pi}{7} = -\sin\frac{5\pi}{7} + \sin\frac{\pi}{7}, \\ \end{align*} $$ so their sum is $-\sin\tfrac{5\pi}{7} = -\sin\tfrac{2\pi}{7}$. Hence multiplying and dividing the sum $\cos\tfrac{2π}{7}+\cos\tfrac{6π}{7}+\cos\tfrac{10π}{7}$ by $2\sin\tfrac{2\pi}{7}$ gives $-\frac{1}{2}$. Now do the same with $\cos\tfrac{4π}{7}+\cos\tfrac{12π}{7}+\cos\tfrac{20π}{7}$ via $2\sin\tfrac{4\pi}{7}$.