ASIAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION COLLEGE

TACLOBAN CITY

REPORTER: JENELYN S. PACHECO

COURSE: MAED-MATHEMATICS
INSTRUCTOR: DR. RENATO P. ESTOQUE

TRIGONOMETRIC IDENTITIES
Trigonometric Identities are useful whenever trigonometric functions are involved in an expression
or an equation. Trigonometric Identities are true for every value of variables occurring on both sides of an
equation. Geometrically, these identities involve certain trigonometric functions (such as sine, cosine, tangent)
of one or more angles.
Sine, cosine and tangent are the primary trigonometry functions whereas cotangent, secant and
cosecant are the other three functions. The trigonometric identities are based on all the six trigonometric
functions.

What are Trigonometric Identities?

Trigonometric Identities are the equalities that involve trigonometry functions and holds true for all the
values of variables given in the equation. 
There are various distinct trigonometric identities involving the side length as well as the angle of a
triangle. The trigonometric identities hold true only for the right-angle triangle.
All the trigonometric identities are based on the six trigonometric ratios. They are sine, cosine, tangent,
cosecant, secant, and cotangent. All these trigonometric ratios are defined using the sides of the right triangle,
such as an adjacent side, opposite side, and hypotenuse side. All the fundamental trigonometric identities are
derived from the six trigonometric ratios.

List of Trigonometric Identities

There are various identities in trigonometry which are used to solve many trigonometric problems.
Using these trigonometric identities or formulas, complex trigonometric questions can be solved quickly. Let us
see all the fundamental trigonometric identities here.

Reciprocal Trigonometric Identities

The reciprocal trigonometric identities are:

 Sin θ = 1/Csc θ or Csc θ = 1/Sin θ

 Cos θ = 1/Sec θ or Sec θ = 1/Cos θ
 Tan θ = 1/Cot θ or Cot θ = 1/Tan θ

Pythagorean Trigonometric Identities
There are three Pythagorean trigonometric identities in trigonometry that are based on the right-triangle
theorem or Pythagoras theorem.

 sin2 a + cos2 a = 1
 1+tan2 a = sec2 a
  cosec2 a = 1 + cot2 a

Ratio Trigonometric Identities
The trigonometric ratio identities are:

 Tan θ = Sin θ/Cos θ
 Cot θ = Cos θ/Sin θ

Trigonometric Identities of Opposite Angles

The list of opposite angle trigonometric identities are:

 Sin (-θ) = – Sin θ

 Cos (-θ) = Cos θ
 Tan (-θ) = – Tan θ
 Cot (-θ) = – Cot θ
 Sec (-θ) = Sec θ
 Csc (-θ) = -Csc θ

Trigonometric Identities of Complementary Angles

In geometry, two angles are complementary if their sum is equal to 90 degrees. Similarly, when we can learn
here the trigonometric identities for complementary angles.

 Sin (90 – θ) = Cos θ

 Cos (90 – θ) = Sin θ
 Tan (90 – θ) = Cot θ
 Cot ( 90 – θ) = Tan θ
 Sec (90 – θ) = Csc θ
 Csc (90 – θ) = Sec θ

Trigonometric Identities of Supplementary Angles

Two angles are supplementary if their sum is equal to 90 degrees. Similarly, when we can learn here the
trigonometric identities for supplementary angles.

 sin (180°- θ) = sinθ

 cos (180°- θ) = -cos θ
 cosec (180°- θ) = cosec θ
 sec (180°- θ)= -sec θ
 tan (180°- θ) = -tan θ
 cot (180°- θ) = -cot θ
Sum and Difference of Angles Trigonometric Identities
Consider two angles , α and β, the trigonometric sum and difference identities are as follows:

 sin(α+β)=sin(α).cos(β)+cos(α).sin(β)
 sin(α–β)=sinα.cosβ–cosα.sinβ
 cos(α+β)=cosα.cosβ–sinα.sinβ
 cos(α–β)=cosα.cosβ+sinα.sinβ
tan α + tan β
 tan ( α + β )=
1−tan α tan β
tan α −tan β
 tan ( α −β )=
1+tan α tan β

Double Angle Trigonometric Identities

If the angles are doubled, then the trigonometric identities for sin, cos and tan are:

 sin 2θ = 2 sinθ cosθ

 cos 2θ = cos2θ – sin2 θ = 2 cos2θ – 1 = 1 – 2sin2 θ
 tan 2θ = (2tanθ)/(1 – tan2θ)

Half Angle Identities

If the angles are halved, then the trigonometric identities for sin, cos and tan are:

 sin (θ/2) = ±√[(1 – cosθ)/2]

 cos (θ/2) = ±√(1 + cosθ)/2
 tan (θ/2) = ±√[(1 – cosθ)(1 + cosθ)]

Product-Sum Trigonometric Identities

The product-sum trigonometric identities change the sum or difference of sines or cosines into a product of
sines and cosines. 

 Sin A + Sin B = 2 Sin(A+B)/2 . Cos(A-B)/2

 Cos A + Cos B = 2 Cos(A+B)/2 . Cos(A-B)/2
 Sin A – Sin B = 2 Cos(A+B)/2 . Sin(A-B)/2
 Cos A – Cos B = -2 Sin(A+B)/2 . Sin(A-B)/2

Trigonometric Identities of Products

These identities are:

 Sin A. Sin B = [Cos (A – B) – Cos (A + B)]/2

 Sin A. Cos B = [Sin (A + B) – Sin (A – B)]/2
 Cos A. Cos B = [Cos (A + B) – Cos (A – B)]/2

Using the fundamental identities above, the proof of the other identities may also be established.
Illustrative Examples

1
A. Establish the identity: tanθ=
cot θ
Solution:

1 1 sin θ 1
= = =
cot θ cos θ cos θ cot θ
sin θ

1
B. Establish the identity: cos θ= .
sec θ
Solution:

1 1
= =cos θ
sec θ 1
cos θ

C. Establish the identity: tan 2 θ+1=sec 2 θ.

Solution:

( )
2 2
2 sin θ sin θ
tan θ+1= + 1= 2 +1
cos θ cos θ

sin2 θ cos 2 θ sin 2 θ+cos 2 θ

= 2 + 2 =
cos θ cos θ cos2 θ

= 2
1
cos θ
=
1 2
cos θ( 2
=sec θ )
sec θ 1+ cos θ
D. Establish the identity: tan θ−sin θ = 3 .
sin θ

Solution:
1
sec θ cos θ cos θ
= ∙
tan θ−sin θ sin θ cos θ
−sinθ
cos θ
1
¿
sinθ−sin θ cos θ
 1 1+ cos θ
¿ ∙
sinθ ( 1−cos θ ) 1+ cos θ
1+ cos θ
¿
sinθ ( 1−cos 2 θ )

1+ cos θ
¿ 3
sin θ

In a similar manner, try to establish the identity,

2 2
cot θ+1=csc θ .
Study how the other Pythagorean identities are derived.
The identity sin2 θ+cos 2=1 is also equivalent to:
2 2
sin θ=1−cos θ
cos 2 θ=1−sin 2 θ
The identity tan 2 θ+1=sec 2 θ is also equivalent to:
2 2
tan θ=sec θ−1
2 2
1=sec θ−tan θ
The identity cot 2 θ+1=csc 2 θ is also equivalent to:
2 2
cot θ=c sc θ−1
2 2
1=c sc θ−cot θ

The trigonometric identities can be verified by either of the following:

1. Work only on the expressions at the right side of the equality sign until it becomes identical
to the expression at the left side, or vice versa.
2. Work on the expressions on both sides of the equality sign until the members of the
equation become identical.

Illustrative Examples

A. Establish the identity: sin θ secθ cot θ=1 .

Solution:

sin θ sec θ cot θ=sin θ ( cos1 θ ) cot θ Reciprocal Identity

Simplify
sin θ
¿ cot θ
cos θ
 Quotient Identity
¿ tan θ cot θ
=1 Reciprocal Identity

In this particular identity, the left member is simplified since it is more complicated.

2
1−sin θ
B. Establish the identity: =sin θ cos θ
cot θ
Solution:

1−sin2 θ cos2 θ Pythagorean Identity

=
cot θ cot θ Multiplication Property
1
¿ ( cos θ cos θ )
cot θ
Reciprocal Identity
¿ tanθ ( cos θ cos θ )
sin θ Quotient Identity
¿ ( cos θ cos θ )
cos θ
Simplify
¿ sin θ cos θ

C. Establish the identity: ( csc θ−1 )( sin θ+1 ) =cos θ cot θ.

Solution:
( csc θ−1 )( sin θ+1 ) =cos θ cot θ
Simplify
¿ csc θ sin θ+csc θ−sinθ−1

( sin1 θ )sin θ+ cscθ−sin θ−1

Reciprocal Identity
¿
Simplify
¿ 1+csc θ−sin θ−1
Simplify
¿ csc θ−sinθ

1 Reciprocal Identity
¿ −sin θ
sinθ
Simplify
2
1−sin θ
¿
sin θ
2 Pythagorean Identity
cos θ
¿
sin θ

¿ cos θ ( cos
sinθ )
θ
Multiplication Property

Quotient Identity
 ¿ cos θ cot θ

D. Express as a single trigonometric function:

2 2 2
tan θ+ sin θ+ cos θ .
Solution:
tan θ+ sin θ+ cos θ=tan θ + ( sin θ+cos θ )
2 2 2 2 2 2

2
¿ tan θ+1

2
¿ sec θ