INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

1. The following table gives the domains, ranges and the principal value branches of all
inverse trigonometric functions :
FUNCTIO DOMAIN RANGE PRINCIPAL VALUE BRANCH
N
sin-1x [-1,1] [–π/2, π/2] –π/2 ≤ y ≤ π/2, where y = sin-1x
cos-1x [-1,1] [0, π] 0 ≤ y ≤ π, where y = cos-1x
tan-1x R (–π/2, π/2) –π/2 < y < π/2, where y = tan-1x
cosec-1x (–∞, – 1] U [1, ∞) [–π/2, π/2] – {0} –π/2 ≤ y ≤ π/2, where y = cosec-1x,
y≠0
sec-1x (–∞, – 1] U [1, ∞) [0, π] – {π/2} 0 ≤ y ≤ π, where y = sec-1x, y ≠ π/2
cot-1x R (0 , π) 0 < y < π, where y = cot-1x
Note : If no branch of an inverse trigonometric function is mentioned, then it means the
principal value branch of that function.
2. PROPERTIES OF INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS :
PROPERTY I :
┐
(i) sin-1(sin θ) = θ │
(ii) cos-1(cos θ) = θ │
(iii) tan-1(tan θ) = θ │ for all θ belongs to the
(iv) cosec-1(cosec θ) = θ │ respective Range.
(v) sec-1(sec θ) = θ │
(vi) cot-1(cot θ) = θ │
┘
PROPERTY II :
┐
(i) sin(sin-1x) = x │
(ii) cos(cos-1x) = x │
(iii) tan(tan-1x) = x │ for all ‘x’ belongs to the
(iv) cosec(cosec-1x) = x │ respective Domain.
(v) sec(sec-1x) = x │
(vi) cot(cot-1x) = x │
┘
PROPERTY III :
┐
(i) sin-1(–x) = –sin-1x │
(ii) tan-1(–x) = –tan-1x │ for all ‘x’ belongs to the
(iii) cosec-1(–x) = –cosec-1x │ respective Domain.
(iv) cos-1(–x) = π – cos-1x │
(v) sec-1(–x) = π – sec-1x │
(vi) cot-1(–x) = π – cot-1x │
┘
PROPERTY IV :
_______________ ________________ _______________

(i) sin-1x = cos-1 √ 1 – x2 = tan-1 [x/(√ 1 – x2)] = cot-1 [(√ 1 – x2 )/x]

________________

= sec-1 [1/(√ 1 – x2 )] = cosec-1 (1/x)

_______________ ________________ ________________

(ii) cos-1x = sin-1 √ 1 – x2 = tan-1 [(√ 1 – x2)/x] = cot-1 [x/(√ 1 – x2 )]

_________________

= cosec-1 [1/(√ 1 – x2 )] = sec-1 (1/x)

_____________ ______________

(iii) tan-1x = sin-1 [x/(√ 1 + x2) = cos-1 [1/(√ 1 + x2)] = cot-1 (1/x)
_____________ ______________
 = sec-1 (√ 1 + x2 ) = cosec-1 [(√ 1 + x2 )/x]
PROPERTY V :
(i) sin-1(1/x) = cosec-1x, for all ‘x’ belongs to (–∞, – 1] U [1, ∞)
(ii) cos-1(1/x) = sec-1x, for all ‘x’ belongs to (–∞, – 1] U [1, ∞)
┌
(iii) tan-1(1/x) = │ cot-1x , for x > 0
-1
│– π + cot x , for x < 0
└
PROPERTY VI :
(i) sin-1x + cos-1x = π/2, for all ‘x’ belongs to [ –1, 1]
(ii) sec-1x + cosec-1x = π/2, for all ‘x’ belongs to (–∞, – 1] U [1, ∞)

(iii) tan-1x + cot-1x = π/2, for x belongs to R

PROPERTY VII :
┌
│ ┌ ┐
│ tan-1│ x + y . │
│ │1 – xy │ , if xy < 1
│ └ ┘
(i) tan-1x + tan-1y = │ ┌ ┐
-1
│ π + tan │ x + y . │
│ │1 – xy │ , if x > 0, y > 0 and xy > 1
│ └ ┘
│ ┌ ┐
-1
│ – π + tan │ x + y . │
│ │1 – xy │ , if x < 0, y < 0 and xy > 1
│ └ ┘
└
┌
│ ┌ ┐
│ tan-1│ x – y . │
│ │1 + xy │ , if xy > –1
│ └ ┘
(ii) tan-1x – tan-1y = │ ┌ ┐
-1
│ π + tan │ x – y . │
│ │1 + xy │ , if x > 0, y < 0 and xy < –1
│ └ ┘
│ ┌ ┐
-1
│ – π + tan │ x – y . │
│ │1 + xy │, if x < 0, y > 0 and xy < –1
│ └ ┘
└
PROPERTY VIII :
┌ _____ _____
│ sin-1{x√ 1 – y2 + y√ 1 – x2 } ,if –1 ≤ x, y ≤ 1
│ and x2 + y2 ≤ 1
│ OR
-1 -1
(i) sin x + sin y = │ if xy < 0 and x + y2 > 1
2
│ ___________ ___________

│ π – sin-1{x√ 1 – y2 + y√ 1 – x2 },if 0<x, y ≤1

│ _____ _____ and x2 + y2>1
│ –π – sin-1{x√ 1 – y2 + y√ 1 – x2 },if –1≤x,y<0
 │ and x2 + y2 > 1
└
┌ _____ _____
│ sin-1{x√ 1 – y2 – y√ 1 – x2 } ,if –1 ≤ x, y ≤ 1
│ and x2 + y2 ≤ 1
│ OR
-1 -1
(ii) sin x – sin y = │ if xy > 0
│ _____ _____ and x2 + y2 > 1
│ π – sin-1{x√ 1 – y2 – y√ 1 – x2 },if 0 < x ≤ 1,
│ –1 ≤ y ≤ 0,
│ _____ _____ and x2 + y2 > 1
│ –π – sin-1{x√ 1 – y2 – y√ 1 – x2 },if –1 ≤ x < 0,
│ 0 < y ≤ 1,
│ and x2 + y2 > 1
└
PROPERTY IX :
┌ _____ _____
│ cos {xy – √ 1 – x2 √ 1 – x2 } ,if –1 ≤ x, y ≤ 1
-1

(i) cos-1x + cos-1y = │ _____ _____ and x + y ≥ 0

│ 2π – cos-1{xy – √ 1 – x2 √ 1 – x2 } ,if –1 ≤ x,
│ y ≤ 1 and x + y ≤ 0
└
┌ _____ _____
│ cos-1{xy + √ 1 – x2 √ 1 – x2 } ,if –1 ≤ x, y ≤ 1
(ii) cos-1x – cos-1y = │ _____ _____ and x ≤ y
│ 2π – cos-1{xy + √ 1 – x2 √ 1 – x2 } ,if –1≤y≤0,
│ 0 < x ≤ 1, and x ≥ y
└
PROPERTY X :
┌ ________ __ __
│ sin-1(2x√ 1 – x2) ,if –1/√2 ≤ x ≤ 1/√2
(i) 2sin-1x = │ _____ _
│ π – sin-1(2x√ 1 – x2),if 1/√2 < x ≤ 1
│ ________ __
│ –π – sin-1(2x√ 1 – x2), if –1 ≤ x < –1/√2
└
┌
│ sin-1(3x – 4x3) ,if –1/2 ≤ x ≤ 1/2
(ii) 3sin-1x = │ π – sin-1(3x – 4x3),if 1/2 < x ≤ 1
│–π – sin-1(3x – 4x3), if –1 ≤ x < –1/2
└
PROPERTY XI :
┌
│ cos-1(2x2 – 1) ,if 0 ≤ x ≤ 1
-1
(i) 2cos x = │
│ 2π – cos-1(2x2 – 1),if –1 ≤ x ≤ 0
└
┌
│ cos-1(4x3 – 3x) ,if 1/2 ≤ x ≤ 1
(ii) 3cos x = │ 2π – cos-1(4x3 – 3x),if –1/2 < x ≤ 1/2
-1

│ 2π + cos-1(4x3 – 3x), if –1 ≤ x < –1/2

 └

PROPERTY XII :
┌
│ tan-1{2x/(1 – x2)} ,if –1 < x < 1
-1
(i) 2tan x = │
│ π + tan-1{2x/(1 – x2)},if x > 1
│
│ –π + tan-1{2x/(1 – x2)}, if x < –1
└
┌
│ ┌ ┐
│ tan-1│ 3x – x3 │ _ _
2
│ │ 1 – 3x │,if –1/√3 < x < 1/√3
│ └ ┘
│ ┌ ┐ _
(ii) 3tan-1x = │ π + tan-1│ 3x – x3 │,if x > 1/√3
│ │ 1 – 3x2 │
│ └ ┘
│ ┌ ┐
-1 3
│ – π + tan │ 3x – x │ _
│ │ 1 – 3x2 │,if x < –1/√3
│ └ ┘
└
PROPERTY XIII :
┌
│ ┌ ┐
│ sin-1 │ 2x . │
│ │ 1 + x2 │,if –1 ≤ x ≤ 1
│ └ ┘
│ ┌ ┐
-1 -1
(i) 2tan x = │ π – sin │ 2x . │,if x > 1
│ │ 1 + x2 │
│ └ ┘
│ ┌ ┐
-1
│ – π – sin │ 2x . │
│ │ 1 + x2 │,if x < –1
│ └ ┘
└
┌
│ ┌ ┐
│ cos-1 │ 1 – x2 │
│ │ 1 + x2 │,if 0 ≤ x < ∞
-1
(ii) 2tan x = │ └ ┘
│ ┌ ┐
│ – cos-1 │ 1 – x2 │,if –∞ < x ≤ 0
│ │ 1 + x2 │
│ └ ┘
└