Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Archisman Panda
Class XII-A
Roll 31

➔ Inverse Functions

A function y=f(x) has an inverse f-1, given by f-1(y)=x, if and

only if f(x) is a one-one and onto function. If f(x) is one-one
on a domain, then it is said to be invertible(i.e. its inverse
exists) on that domain.

Domain of f-1 = Range of f

Range of f-1 = Domain of f
If f:X→Y is a bijective function(one-one and onto) and f(x)=y,
then f-1:Y→X is the inverse function of f(x) and is represented
by f-1(y)=x.
We can find the graph of f-1(x) from the graph of f(x) by
reflecting each point of the graph about the line y=x

If f is differentiable at every point of a domain I and df/dx

is never 0 on I, then f-1 is differentiable at every foint of
the interval f(I), and—

(df-1/dx)x=f(a)=1/(df/dx)x=a

This is the derivative rule for inverse functions.

➔ Inverse trigonometric functions

All trigonometric functions are not invertible, because they

are not bijective throughout the domain. However, they are
invertible at regions inside the domain where they are
bijective.

 sin -1(x)

sin(x) is neither a one-one nor an onto function, as is

apparent from the graph of y=sin(x).

However, on closer look, we see that it is onto for the range

[-1,1].
Also, it is one-one too for some specific regions in the
𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 3𝜋 3𝜋 𝜋
domain, for example, [- 2 , 2 ], [ 2 , ] , [− , − 2 ]etc.
2 2
At these fixed regions, sin-1x can be defined.
However, for a general equation, we can define sin-1x in the
𝜋 𝜋
domain [− 2 , 2 ] . In this domain, sin-1(x) is also called the arc
sine of x.
𝜋 𝜋
y=sin-1(x) is the number in [− 2 , 2 ] for which sin y=x.

Eg:-
𝜋 √3 √3 𝜋
sin( 3 ) = 2 implies that sin-1( 2 ) = 3 .
We can get the curve of sin-1x by reflecting the curve y=sin x
about the line y=x.

𝜋 𝜋
This is obtained by reflecting y=sin(x), x=[− 2 , 2 ] about the line
y=x to get x=sin(y), y=[-1,1].
  cos-1(x)

cos(x) is also neither one-one nor onto, as can be seen

from its graph.

However, it is onto on the range [-1,1] and one-one in several

regions in its domain, for example [0, 𝜋], [−𝜋, 0], [𝜋, 2𝜋] etc.

cos-1(x) can defined at these regions.

For a general equation, we can define cos-1x in the domain
[0, 𝜋] . In this domain, cos-1(x) is also called the arc cosine of x.

y=cos-1x is the number in [0, 𝜋] for which cos(y)=x.

We can find the graph of cos-1x by reflecting y=cos x about the
line y=x. We get the following graph:
Comparing this with the graph of y=sin-1x, we can easily observe
that sin-1x+cos-1x is a constant value. This value will be found
out later.

 tan-1 (x)

tan(x), like the other trigonometric functions, is not one-one.

However, it is an onto function, as we can see from its graph.

At some regions over the domain, tan(x) is one-one.

tan-1(x) can be defined in these regions.
 𝜋 𝜋
For generality, we consider the domain (-2 , 2 ), one of the many
intervals over which it is one-one.
𝜋 𝜋
y=tan-1x is the number in (-2 , 2 ) for which tan(y)=x.
We can find the graph of tan-1x in a similar way as sin-1x and
cos-1x, i.e by reflecting y=tan x about the line y=x.

All the other inverse trigonometric functions can be defined in

a similar way.

➔ Derivatives of inverse trigonometric functions

 sin-1x and cos-1x

Let y=sin-1x
∴ 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑦 = 𝑥
𝑑
∴ (sin 𝑦) = 1
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
∴ cos 𝑦 =1
𝑑𝑥
 𝑑𝑦 1
∴ 𝑑𝑥 = cos 𝑦
1
=
√1−𝑥 2
√1 − 𝑥 2 1

[Refer to triangle, cos y=√1 − 𝑥 2 ]

y
X
Hence,
𝑑 1
(sin−1 𝑥 ) =
𝑑𝑥 √1 − 𝑥 2

In a similar way,

𝑑 −1
1
(cos 𝑥 ) = −
𝑑𝑥 √1 − 𝑥 2

 sec-1x and cosec-1x

Let 𝑦 = sec −1 𝑥 x
∴ sec 𝑦 = 𝑥 √𝑥 2 − 1
𝑑𝑦
∴ sec 𝑦 tan 𝑦 =1
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦 1
∴ 𝑑𝑥 = sec 𝑦 tan 𝑦 1 y
1
=± [Refer to triangle]
𝑥√𝑥 2 −1
There is a ± sign because the triangle may be on either
side of the y-axis, so x can be either positive or negative.

We generalize the formula as—

𝑑 1
(sec −1 𝑥 ) =
𝑑𝑥 |𝑥 |√𝑥 2 − 1

In a similar way,

𝑑 1
(𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑐 −1 𝑥 ) = −
𝑑𝑥 |𝑥 |√𝑥 2 − 1

Formulae for tan-1x and cot-1x derivatives

𝑑 1
(tan−1 𝑥 ) =
𝑑𝑥 1+𝑢2
 𝑑 1
(𝑐𝑜𝑡 −1 𝑥 ) = −
𝑑𝑥 1+𝑢2

Now that we have a knowledge of the inverse trigonometric

functions and their derivatives, we can solve sums on this topic.
But before that, we should know some more properties of
inverse trigonometric functions—

sin(sin-1x)=cos(cos-1x)=x, |x|≤1
tan(tan-1x)=cot(cot-1x)=x, x∈R
sec(sec-1x)=cosec(cosec-1x)=x, |x|≥1
𝜋 𝜋
sin(sin-1x)=x, x∈[ − 2 , 2 ] cos (cos −1 𝑥) = 𝑥
x∈ [0, 𝜋]
𝜋 𝜋
tan-1(tan)x=x, x∈ (− 2 , 2 ) cot(cot-1x)=x, x∈ (0, 𝜋)

𝜋 𝜋
sec-1(sec x) = x, x∈ [0, 2 ) ∪ ( 2 , 𝜋] cosec-1(cosec x)=x,
𝜋 𝜋
x∈ [− 2 , 0) ∪ (0, 2 ]
In their respective domains,

sin-1(-x)= - sin-1x
cos-1(-x)= 𝜋 - cos-1x
tan-1(-x) = - tan-1x
cot-1(-x)= 𝜋 - cot-1x
cosec-1(-x)= - cosec-1x
sec-1(-x)= 𝜋 - sec-1x

1
cosec-1x = sin-1(𝑥)
1
sec-1x = cos-1(𝑥)
1
cot-1(x) = tan-1(𝑥), x>0
1
cot-1(x) = 𝜋 + tan-1(𝑥), x<0

𝜋
sin-1x + cos-1x = 2
𝜋
tan-1 + cot-1x =
2
𝜋
sec-1x + cosec-1x = 2
 𝑥+𝑦
tan-1x + tan-1y = tan-11−𝑥𝑦 xy<1
𝑥+𝑦
tan-1x + tan-1y = 𝜋 + tan-11−𝑥𝑦 , x>0, y>0, xy>1
𝑥−𝑦
tan-1x - tan-1y = tan-11+𝑥𝑦 , xy> -1

−1
2𝑥 −1
sin ( ) = 2 tan 𝑥 , |𝑥| ≤ 1
1 + 𝑥2
−1
1 − 𝑥2
cos ( 2
) = 2 tan−1 𝑥 , 𝑥 > 0
1+𝑥
2𝑥
tan−1 ( 2
) = 2 tan−1 𝑥 , |𝑥 | < 1
1−𝑥

𝑥
sin−1 ( )=tan−1 𝑥
√1+𝑥 2

1
cos −1 ( )=tan−1 𝑥 , 𝑥 > 0
√1+𝑥 2

𝑥
sin−1 ( )=tan−1 𝑥
√1+𝑥 2
1
cos −1 ( )=tan−1 𝑥 , 𝑥 > 0
√1+𝑥 2
 𝑥
tan−1 ( ) = sin−1 𝑥 , |𝑥 | < 1
√1 − 𝑥 2

−1
√1 − 𝑥 2
tan ( ) = cos −1 𝑥 , 0 < 𝑥 ≤ 1
𝑥

sin−1 𝑥 = cos −1 √1 − 𝑥 2 , 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1
cos −1 𝑥 = sin−1 √1 − 𝑥 2 , 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1
cos(sin−1 𝑥 ) = sin(cos −1 𝑥 ) = √1 − 𝑥 2 , |𝑥 | ≤ 1

sin−1 𝑥 + sin−1 𝑦 = sin−1 (𝑥√1 − 𝑦 2 + 𝑦√1 − 𝑥 2 )

sin−1 𝑥 − sin−1 𝑦 = sin−1 (𝑥√1 − 𝑦 2 − 𝑦√1 − 𝑥 2 )

cos −1 𝑥 + cos −1 𝑦 = cos −1 (𝑥𝑦 − √1 − 𝑥 2 √1 − 𝑦 2 )

cos −1 𝑥 − cos −1 𝑦 = cos −1 (𝑥𝑦 + √1 − 𝑥 2 √1 − 𝑦 2 )

 −1 −1 ( 3)
1
3 sin 𝑥 = sin 3𝑥 − 4𝑥 , |𝑥| ≤
2
1
3 cos −1 𝑥 = cos −1 (4𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 ) , ≤ |𝑥 | < 1
2
3
−1 −1
3𝑥 − 𝑥 1
3 tan 𝑥 = tan ( | |
), 𝑥 <
1 − 3𝑥 2 √3