3.2 Proving Identities There is no general method that can be applied to verify, or prove an identity. However, it may be helpful to express all the eer functions in terms of sine and cosine and then simplify. To establish an identity, we may use one of the following: 1. Transform the left member of the equation into an exact form of the right. Transform the right member into an exact form of the left . Transform each side separately into the same form. Note: Do not transpose any expression from one side to the other. Examples: 12 1. Prove that Cun +cos8 = secO cos8 Solution: Because the left member is ore complicated than the right, we siart with it. We add the two expressions and apply the fundamental identity #6 to get the right side. sin’ sin’@ + cos’8 S§COSO =o cos@ cosd : The right ide is the more complicated one so, we start with c @ and apply the fundamental identity #6 to get theAnother way to prove an identity is to work on both sides of the given equation and arrive at equivalent expressions. 3.Provethat cotB -cotB sec’B = -tanB (tanB cot B) Solution: Both sides are complicated so, we transform each side separately into the same form. Starting with the left side we apply algebraic manipulations and use the fundamental identities to express cot B and sec® in terms of sine and cosine. cot B-cotBsec?B = cot (1-sec?B) by common factor — cot B (sec?B — 1) =—cot B (tan?) by identity #8 —cos( sin’ B : = sinB cos? by identity #4 _-sing by cancellation Similarly, cosB -tanB(tanBcot8) _ -sinB/ sing cos) by identity #3 cosB (cos sinf. : sea Coss side is equalto -sinB , we conclude that cosp ~cotBsec’ p = —tanB(tanfcotp).