Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Function

Domain

Range

arcsin x

[1, 1]

h i
,
2 2

arccos x

[1, 1]

[0, ]

arctan x

(, )

 
,
2 2

x
1

Graph of y = arcsin x

10

x
5

10

x
1

Graph of y = arctan x

Graph of y = arccos x

Composition
sin(arcsin x) = x,

for all x [1, 1]

arcsin(sin x) = x,



for all x 2 , 2

cos(arccos x) = x,

for all x [1, 1]

arccos(cos x) = x,

for all x [0, ]

tan(arctan x) = x,

for all x (, )

arctan(tan x) = x,

for all x 2 , 2

Derivative
d
1
arcsin x =
dx
1 x2

d
1
arccos x =
dx
1 x2

d
1
arctan x =
dx
1 + x2

Notation
arcsin x = sin1 x


arccos x = cos1 x

arctan x = tan1 x

Note that the 1 in these notations is not an exponent, e.g., sin1 x 6=

Gilles Cazelais. Typeset with LATEX on January 10, 2008.

1
sin x .