INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

(A) GENERAL INTRODUCTION :

sin1 x , cos1 x , tan1 x etc. denote angles or real numbers whose sine is x , whose cosine is x and
whose tangent is x, provided that the answers given are numerically smallest available. These are
also written as arc sinx, arc cosx etc.

(B) PRINCIPAL VALUES AND DOMAINS OF INVERSE CIRCULAR

FUNCTIONS :

S.No. Function Domain Range

 
(i) y = sin 1 x 1  x  1   y
2 2
(ii) y = cos1 x 1  x  1 0y
 
(iii) y = tan1 x x  R   x
2 2
(iv) y = cot1 x xR 0<y<
 
(v) y = cosec1 x x   1 or x  1   y  , y0
2 2

(vi) y = sec1 x x  1 or x  1 0 y   ; y
2
NOTE THAT : (a) 1st quadrant is common to all the inverse functions.
(b) 3rd quadrant is not used in inverse functions.
(c) 4th quadrant is used in the CLOCKWISE DIRECTION.

Graphs of all 6 inverse circular functions :

  
(1) y = sin 1 x, | x |  1, y   2 ,
2
 

–1 y y
y= sin x y=arc sinx y=x
/2 /2
1 y=sinx

–1 – /2 –1
x x
0 1 0 1 /2

y=sinx –1
– /2 y=x y=arc sinx – /2

Note : Graph of y = sin–1x and

y = sin x are mirror image of
each other about the line y = x.

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 Highlights : -

  
(i) sin–1x is bounded in  ,  .
 2 2
(ii) sin–1x is an odd function. (symmetric about origin)
(iii) sin–1x is an increasing function in its domain.
 
(iv ) Maximum value of sin–1x = , occurs at x = 1 and minimum value of sin–1 x =  , occurs at x = –1.
2 2
(v) sin x is an aperiodic function.
–1

(2) y = cos 1 x , | x |  1, y  [0, ]

y
y= arc cos x

y=x
–1 y
y= cos x /2

1
/2 
x
–1 0 1
x
–1 0 1 –1
y=x y= cos x
–1
Note : Graph of y = cos x and
y = cos x are mirror image of
each other about the line y = x.

Highlights : -

(i) cos–1x is bounded in [0, ].

(ii) cos–1x is a neither odd nor even function.
(iii) cos–1x is a decreasing function in its domain.
(iv ) Maximum value of cos–1x =  occurs at x = –1 and minimum value of cos–1 x = 0, occurs at x = 1.
(v) cos–1x is an aperiodic function.

  
(3) y = tan 1 x , x  R, y    , 
 2 2

y y=tanx

–1
y y=x
y= tan x
/2
y= arc tan x
/2 x
–  /2 0 /2 
y= arc tan x
x – /2
0

– /2 y=x –
y=tanx
Note : Graph of y = tan–1x and
y = tan x are mirror image of
each other about the line y = x.

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 Highlights : -
  
(i) tan–1x is bounded in   , 
 2 2
(ii) tan x is an odd function. (symmetric about origin)
–1

(iii) tan–1x is an increasing function in its domain.

(iv) tan–1x is an aperiodic function.

(4) y = cot 1 x , x  R, y  (0 , )
y y=x

–1
y= cot x y
 y= arc cot x
/2
y=arc cot x
x
/2 0
x
0 – /2
–
y=cotx
–1
Note : Graph of y = cot x and
y = cot x are mirror image of
each other about the line y = x.

Highlights : -

(i) cot–1x is bounded in (0, ).

(ii) cot–1x is a neither odd nor even function.
(iii) cot–1x is a decreasing function in its domain.
(iv) cot–1x is an aperiodic function.

    
(5) y = cosec1x,x1, y   , 0    0, 
 2   2

Highlights : -

  
(i) cosec–1x is bounded in  ,  .
 2 2
(ii) cosec x is an odd function. (symmetric about origin)
–1

 
(iii) Maximum value of cosec–1x = , occurs at x = 1 and minimum value of cosec–1x =  , occurs at x = –1.
2 2
(iv) cosec x is a decreasing function.
–1

(v) cosec–1x is an aperiodic function.

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 y  0,    ,
 
(6) y = sec 1 x,x 1,  2   2 

Highlights : -
(i) sec–1x is bounded in [0, ].
(ii) sec–1x is a neither odd nor even function.
(iii) Maximum value of sec–1x =  occurs at x = –1 and minimum value of sec1 x = 0, occurs at x = 1.
(iv) sec–1x is an increasing function.
(v) sec–1x is an aperiodic function.
Note :
(a) tan–1(x) and cot–1(x) are continuous and monotonic on R   that their range is R
(b) If f (x) is continuous and has a range R  it is monotonic. e.g. y = x3 – 3x.

Properties of Inverse Trigonometric Function :

PROPERTY-1 :

(i) sin (sin1 x) = x , 1  x  1 (ii) cos (cos1 x) = x , 1  x  1

(iii) tan (tan1 x) = x , x  R (iv) cot (cot1 x) = x , x  R
(v) cosec (cosec1 x) = x , | x |  1 (vi) sec (sec1 x) = x , | x |  1

(1) y=sin(sin 1 x)= x, x[ 1 , 1], (2) y =cos(cos 1x)= x, x  [ 1 , 1],

y[ 1 , 1], y is aperiodic. y  [– 1 , 1], y is aperiodic.
y y
1 1
x

x
y=

y=

–1 45° x –1 45° x
O 1 O 1

–1 –1

(3) y =tan (tan–1x)=x, x  R, (4) y = cot (cot–1x)= x, x  R,

y  R, y is aperiodic. y  R, y is aperiodic.

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 (5) y =cosec(cosec–1x)= x, (6) y = sec(sec–1x) = x,
| x |  1, | y |  1, y is aperiodic. | x |  1, | y |  1, y is aperiodic.

Note that: (1, 2); (3, 4) and (5, 6) are identical function.
(vii) sin1 (sin x) = x ,    x   (viii) cos1 (cos x) = x ; 0  x  
2 2

(ix) tan1 (tan x) = x ;    x   (x) cot1 (cot x) = x , 0 < x < 

2 2

(xi) cosec1 (cosec x) = x ;    x   , x  0 (xii) sec1 (sec x) = x ; 0  x  , x 
2 2 2

y = sin 1 (sin x) , x  R , y   ,  , Periodic with period 2 

 
(7)
 2 2

(8) y = cos 1(cos x) = x, x  R, y [0, ], periodic with period 2 

     
(9) y = tan1(tan x) = x, x R (2n  1) n  I , y    ,  ,
 2   2 2
periodic with period 

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 (10) y = cot1(cot x) = x, xR{n }, y(0,), periodic with 

(11) y = cosec1(cosec x), xR{n, n I},

y   ,0    0, 
 
 2   2 
y is periodic with period 2

(12) y=sec1(sec x)=x, y is periodic ;

 0 ,    
    
xR (2 n  1) 2 n  I , y ,
  2 2 
with period 2

PROPERTY-2 :
1 1
(1) cosec–1x = sin–1 ; |x| > 1 (2) sin–1x = cosec–1 , |x| < 1, x  0
x x
1 1
(3) sec–1x = cos–1 ; |x| > 1 (4) cos–1 x = sec–1 , | x |  1, x  0
x x
1 1
(5) cot–1x = tan–1 ;x>0 =  + tan–1 ; x < 0
x x

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 Note :
1
(i) cosec–1x and sin–1 are identical function.
x
1 1
(ii) sin–1 x and cosec–1 are not identical because domain of sin–1 x and cosec–1 is not equal.
x x
1
(iii) sec–1x and cos–1 are identical function.
x
1 1
(iv) cos–1 x and sec–1 are not identical because domain of cos–1 x and sec–1 is not equal.
x x
PROPERTY-3 :
(i) sin1 (x) =  sin1 x , 1  x  1
(ii) tan1 (x) =  tan1 x , x  R
(iii) cos1 (x) =   cos1 x , 1  x  1
(iv) cot1 (x) =   cot1 x , x  R
(v) cosec1 (x) =  cosec1 x , | x |  1
(vi) sec1 (x) =  sec1 x , | x |  1

PROPERTY-4 :
 
(i) sin1 x + cos1 x = , 1  x  1 (ii) tan1 x + cot1 x = , xR
2 2

(iii) cosec1 x + sec1 x = , x  1
2

PROPERTY-5 :

  xy 
 tan 1  , if xy  1
  1  xy 
 1 x  y 
(1) tan–1x + tan–1y =    tan  , if x  0, y  0 and xy  1
  1  xy 
 1 x  y 
   tan  , if x  0, y  0 and xy  1
  1  xy 

xy
(2) x > 0 and y > 0, tan–1x – tan–1y = tan–1 (with no other restriction)
1  xy
(Remember)

(i) tan–11 + tan–12 + tan–13 = 

1 1 
(ii) tan–11 + tan–1 + tan–1 =
2 3 2
tan 1 1  tan 1 2  tan 1 3
(iii) 2
cot 1 1  cot 1 2  cot 1 3

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 PROPERTY-6 :

sin 1 x 1  y 2  y 1  x 2  if x  0;y  0and x 2  y 2  1

  
(I) sin–1x + sin–1y = 
   sin 1 x 1  y 2  y 1  x 2  if x  0;y  0and x 2  y 2  1
 

(II) ||| ly we have  2 2


sin–1x – sin–1y = sin–1 x 1  y  y 1  x , x > 0; y > 0

and  2 2

cos–1x + cos–1y = cos–1 xy  1  x 1  y , x > 0, y > 0, x < y

PROPERTY-7 :
 x  y  z  xyz 
tan–1x + tan–1y + tan–1z = tan–1 1  ( xy  yz  zx) 
 
where x > 0, y > 0, z > 0 and xy + yz + zx < 1 and xy < 1, yz < 1, zx < 1

SIMPLIFICATION & TRANSFORMATION OF INVERSE FUNCTIONS BY ELEMENTRY

SUBSTITUTION AND THEIR GRAPHS :

2 tan1 x 1  x  1

2x  1
(1) sin–1 =   2 tan x if x 1
1 x2     2 tan1 x x  1

1 x2 2 tan 1 x x 0
(2) cos –1 =  2 tan 1 x x  0
1 x 2


   2 tan 1 x x  1
2 x  2 tan 1 x
(3) tan –1
=  1  x 1
1 x2 1
 2 tan x   x 1

Highlights :-
2x
(a) f (x) = sin–1 + 2tan–1x =  if x > 1
1 x2
2x
(b) f (x) = sin–1 + 2tan–1x = – if x < –1
1 x2

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 1
  (  3 sin x ) if  1 x  1 / 2
 1
(4) sin–1(3x – 4x3) =  3 sin x if  1 / 2  x  1 / 2 ;
   3 sin 1 x if 1 / 2  x  1


1
 3 cos x  2 if  1 x  1 / 2
 1
(5) cos–1(4x3 – 3x) = 2  3 cos x if  1 / 2  x  1 / 2 ;
 1 if 1 / 2  x  1
 3 cos x

1 1
3 tan–1x if – <x <
3 3
3 1
3x  x
(6) tan–1 = –  + 3 tan –1
x if x >
1  3x 2 3
1
 + 3 tan–1x if x < –
3
* (4, 5, 6 to be proved similarly as 1, 2, 3)

(C) IDENTITIES INVOLVING INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS:

     sin 2  cos  
(I) 2tan–1  tan   tan  = cos–1  
 4 2  1  sin 2 cos  

(II) tan–1x = 2tan–1 [cosec (tan–1x) – tan (cot–1x) ] (x  0)

(D) EQUATIONS INVOLVING INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS :

4
(1) 2cot–12 – cos–1 = cosec–1x
5
(2) cos–1x – sin–1x = cos–1 x 3

(3) sin[2cos–1{cot(2tan–1x)}]= 0

(4) sin–1x + sin–12x =
3
x 1 x 1
(5) tan–1 + tan–1 = tan–1(–7)
x 1 x

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