Here's an interesting and somewhat challenging one:
(a) Show that (without induction)
sin x = 2
n.sin (x/2
n).cos (x/2
n)............cos (x/8).cos (x/4).cos (x/2)
for some integer n
(b) Hence show that as n --> ∞
(sin x) / x = cos (x/2).cos (x/4).cos (x/8)................
(c) Deduce that:
[maths]\frac{2}{\pi} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} . \frac{\sqrt{2 + \sqrt{2}}}{2} . \frac{\sqrt{2 + \sqrt{2 + \sqrt{2}}}}{2} .......[/maths]
Have fun!
(a) RHS=2
n.sin (x/2
n).cos (x/2
n)............cos (x/8).cos (x/4).cos (x/2)
=2
n-1.sin (x/2
n-1).cos (x/2
n-1)............cos (x/8).cos (x/4).cos (x/2) [using sin2x=2sinxcosx]
repeating this,
RHS=sinx=LHS
(b) (sin x) / x = cos (x/2).cos (x/4).cos (x/8)...cos (x/2
n).sin (x/2
n).2
n / x
But as n --> ∞, sin (x/2
∞) / (x / 2
∞) --> 1
and sin (x/2
∞) / (x / 2
∞).cos (x/2
n)=sin (x/2
∞-1) / (x / 2
∞-1) --> 1 [using sin2x=2sinxcosx]
and so on.
Hence, as n --> ∞, (sin x) / x = cos (x/2).cos (x/4).cos (x/8)...cos (x/2
n).sin (x/2
n).2
n / x --> cos (x/2).cos (x/4).cos (x/8)................
(c)Let x= [maths]\frac{pi}{\22}[/maths].
Then from (b), as n --> ∞,
(sin x) / x = cos (x/2).cos (x/4).cos (x/8)................
=[maths]\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} . \frac{\sqrt{2 + \sqrt{2}}}{2} . \frac{\sqrt{2 + \sqrt{2 + \sqrt{2}}}}{2} .......[/maths]
using exact values of trigonometric expressions.
Wow... a good question... Took me awhile to type this up.(coz I didn't know how to use those [maths] or
n stuff. Just learnt it by looking at yours, Trebla, lol)
and it seems I can't fix sign in (c) for pi to appear properly as a mathematical symbol... anyway, anyone tell me if I got something wrong.
My Question: Integrate from pi/2 to 0, cosx / (cosx + sinx) in respect to x.