𝑎csc 2 𝜃

𝜙 = ∫ 𝑑𝜙 = ∫ 1 𝑑𝜃
(1 − 𝑎2 csc 2 𝜃)2
Recall that
csc 2 𝜃 = 1 + cot 2 𝜃 (1).
Taking 𝑎2 from square root, and take (1) into the integral
𝑎csc 2 𝜃 𝑎csc 2 𝜃
∫ 1 𝑑𝜃 = ∫ 1 𝑑𝜃
(1 − 𝑎2 csc 2 𝜃)2 1 2
𝑎 ( 2 − csc 2 𝜃)
𝑎

csc 2 𝜃 csc 2 𝜃
=∫ 1 𝑑𝜃 = ∫ 1 𝑑𝜃 (2).
1 2 1− 𝑎2 2
( − 1 − cot 2 𝜃) ( − cot 2 𝜃)
𝑎2 𝑎2
Let 𝑏 2 = 1 − 𝑎2 ⁄𝑎2 , so (2) becomes
csc 2 𝜃 csc 2 𝜃
∫ 1 𝑑𝜃 = ∫ 1 𝑑𝜃 (3).
1−𝑎2 2 (𝑏 2 − cot 2 𝜃)2
( − cot 2 𝜃)
𝑎2
Furthermore, we can make (3) more concise, let 𝑢 = cot 𝜃 , 𝑑𝑢 =
−csc 2 𝜃𝑑𝜃, so (3) can be written as
1
−∫ 𝑑𝑢 (4).
√𝑏 2 − 𝑢2
Now, again, taking 𝑏 2 from square root, so (3) can be written as
1 1
− ∫ 𝑑𝑢 (5),
𝑏 𝑢 2
√1 − 2
𝑏
recall that
cos 2 𝜃 = 1 − sin2 𝜃,
and let
2 2
𝑢2
cos 𝛾 = 1 − sin 𝛾 = 1 − 2
𝑏
where sin 𝛾 = 𝑢⁄𝑏 , so 𝑑𝑢 = 𝑏 cos 𝛾 𝑑𝛾, thus,
1 1 1 𝑏 cos 𝛾
− ∫ 𝑑𝑢 = − ∫ 𝑑𝛾 = − ∫ 𝑑𝛾 = −𝛾 + 𝛼 (6),
𝑏 𝑢 2 𝑏 cos 𝛾
√1 − 2
𝑏
where 𝛼 is a constant, and since
 𝑢 cot 𝜃
𝛾 = sin−1 = sin−1 ,
𝑏 𝑏
therefore
cot 𝜃
𝜙 = − sin−1 + 𝛼 (7),
𝑏
and
cot 𝜃 cot 𝜃
𝛼 − 𝜙 = sin−1 ⇔ sin(𝛼 − 𝜙) = (8).
𝑏 𝑏
Expand (8), and multiply both sides by 𝜌 and 𝑏
cos 𝜃
𝑏𝜌 sin 𝛼 cos 𝜙 − 𝑏𝜌 cos 𝛼 sin 𝜙 = 𝜌 cot 𝜃 = 𝜌 (9),
sin 𝜃
and multiply both sides by sin 𝜃
𝑏𝜌 sin 𝛼 sin 𝜃 cos 𝜙 − 𝑏𝜌 cos 𝛼 sin 𝜃 sin 𝜙 = 𝜌 cos 𝜃 (10).
Recall spherical coordinate
(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = (𝜌 sin 𝜃 cos 𝜙 , 𝜌 sin 𝜃 sin 𝜙 , 𝜌 cos 𝜃),
so
𝐴𝑥 − 𝐵𝑦 = 𝑧 (11)
where 𝐴 = 𝑏 sin 𝛼 , 𝐵 = 𝑏 cos 𝛼. The equation of (11) is great circle.