$\Arcsin(\Sin(5\Pi/4))$

$\Arcsin(\Sin(5\Pi/4))$
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Having trouble with this question

$\arcsin(\sin(5\pi/4))$

wouldn't the arcsin and sin cancel each other out, therefor this would just equal $5\pi/4$. the answer in the back of my book is $-\pi/4$.

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4 Answers

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We have $\sin(\arcsin x)=x$ for all $x\in[-1,1]$, and $\arcsin(\sin x)=x$ for all $x\in[-\pi/2,\pi/2]$. The key, important difference is that $\sin(\arcsin x)$ is only defined for $x\in[-1,1]$, while $\arcsin(\sin x)$ is defined for all real $x$. The latter's unlimited domain is the source of many a mistake.

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$\arcsin(x)$ is a number whose sine is $x$. But there are a lot of numbers whose sine is $x$, so which one is $\arcsin(x)$? The values of $\sin(x)$ are generally between $-\pi/2$ and $\pi/2$, which ensures that for every $x$ (between $-1$ and $1$), there is exactly one answer. So the question is asking which angle between $-\pi/2$ and $\pi/2$ has a sine equal to $\sin(5\pi/4)$?

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$\sin\left( \frac{5\pi}{4} \right)= - \sqrt{\frac12}$

$\arcsin \left( - \sqrt{\frac12} \right) = -\frac{\pi}{4}$ if you are using the usual definition of $\arcsin: [-1,1] \to\left[-\frac{\pi}2,\frac{\pi}2\right]$. As a function, $\arcsin$ can only give a single value

Graphically:

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(The range of arcsin is usually taken to be $[\frac{-\pi}{2}, \frac{\pi}{2}]$.)

$\textrm{sin}(5 \pi /4)=\textrm{sin}(-\pi/4)$, so you have $\textrm{sin}^{-1}(\textrm{sin}(5\pi /4))=\textrm{sin}^{-1}(\textrm{sin}(-\pi/4))=-\pi/4$

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David Miller

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.