MHB What is the ratio of complex numbers in the form of a question?

AI Thread Summary
The ratio $\frac{e^{i\sqrt{x}}-1}{e^{i\sqrt{x}}+1}$ simplifies to $i\tan\left(\frac{\sqrt{x}}{2}\right)$. The discussion highlights the use of Euler's formulas for sine and cosine to derive this result. Participants express concern about understanding the derivation for exam purposes. The final consensus emphasizes the importance of remembering this formula. This mathematical relationship is crucial for solving related complex number problems.
Guest2
Messages
192
Reaction score
0
What's the ratio $\displaystyle \frac{e^{i\sqrt{x}}-1}{e^{i\sqrt{x}}+1}$ equal to? I can't work it out to anything I recognize. :confused:

The answer is $\displaystyle i\tan(\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{x})$. I suppose I could work backwards from the answer, but I won't have the answer in the exam.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
See how far you can get using $$\sin(x)=\dfrac{e^{ix}-e^{-ix}}{2i}$$ and $$\cos(x)=\dfrac{e^{ix}+e^{-ix}}{2}$$.
 
Guest said:
What's the ratio $\displaystyle \frac{e^{i\sqrt{x}}-1}{e^{i\sqrt{x}}+1}$ equal to? I can't work it out to anything I recognize. :confused:

The answer is $\displaystyle i\tan(\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{x})$. I suppose I could work backwards from the answer, but I won't have the answer in the exam.

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{\mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i}\,\sqrt{x}}-1}{\mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i}\,\sqrt{x}} + 1} &= \frac{\mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i}\,\sqrt{x}} + 1 - 2}{\mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i}\,\sqrt{x}} + 1} \\ &= 1 - \frac{2}{\mathrm{e}^{\mathrm{i}\,\sqrt{x}} + 1} \\ &= 1 - \frac{2}{1 + \cos{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } + \mathrm{i} \sin{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) }} \\ &= 1 - \frac{2\,\left[ 1 + \cos{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } - \mathrm{i}\sin{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } \right] }{\left[ 1 + \cos{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) } + \mathrm{i}\sin{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } \right] \left[ 1 + \cos{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } - \mathrm{i}\sin{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } \right] } \\ &= 1 - \frac{2 + 2\cos{\left( \sqrt{x} \right)
} - 2\,\mathrm{i} \sin{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } }{ \left[ 1 + \cos{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } \right] ^2 + \sin^2{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } } \\ &= 1 - \frac{2 + 2\cos{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) } - 2\,\mathrm{i}\sin{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) }}{1 + 2\cos{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } + \cos^2{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } + \sin^2{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } } \\ &= 1 - \frac{2 + 2\cos{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) } - 2\,\mathrm{i}\sin{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) }}{2 + 2\cos{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) }} \\ &= 1 - \left[ 1 - \frac{2\,\mathrm{i}\sin{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) } }{2\,\left[ 1 + \cos{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) } \right] } \right] \\ &= \mathrm{i}\,\left[ \frac{\sin{\left( \sqrt{x} \right) }}{1 + \cos{ \left( \sqrt{x} \right) } } \right] \\ &= \mathrm{i}\,\left[ \frac{2\sin{\left( \frac{\sqrt{x}}{2} \right) } \cos{\left( \frac{\sqrt{x}}{2} \right) }}{1 + 2\cos^2{\left( \frac{\sqrt{x}}{2} \right) } - 1 } \right] \\ &= \mathrm{i}\,\left[ \frac{2\sin{\left( \frac{\sqrt{x}}{2} \right) }\cos{\left( \frac{\sqrt{x}}{2}\right) }}{2\cos^2{\left( \frac{\sqrt{x}}{2} \right) }} \right] \\ &= \mathrm{i}\tan{ \left( \frac{\sqrt{x}}{2} \right) } \end{align*}$
 
$$\dfrac{e^{i\sqrt x}-1}{e^{i\sqrt x}+1}=\dfrac{e^{i\sqrt x/2}-e^{-i\sqrt x/2}}{e^{i\sqrt x/2}+e^{-i\sqrt x/2}}=i\dfrac{\sin\dfrac{\sqrt x}{2}}{\cos\dfrac{\sqrt x}{2}}=i\tan\dfrac{\sqrt x}{2}$$
 
Thanks, guys. I appreciate this. :D

greg1313 said:
$$\dfrac{e^{i\sqrt x}-1}{e^{i\sqrt x}+1}=\dfrac{e^{i\sqrt x/2}-e^{-i\sqrt x/2}}{e^{i\sqrt x/2}+e^{-i\sqrt x/2}}=i\dfrac{\sin\dfrac{\sqrt x}{2}}{\cos\dfrac{\sqrt x}{2}}=i\tan\dfrac{\sqrt x}{2}$$
I must remember this one for my exam. Sweet and short!
 
Seemingly by some mathematical coincidence, a hexagon of sides 2,2,7,7, 11, and 11 can be inscribed in a circle of radius 7. The other day I saw a math problem on line, which they said came from a Polish Olympiad, where you compute the length x of the 3rd side which is the same as the radius, so that the sides of length 2,x, and 11 are inscribed on the arc of a semi-circle. The law of cosines applied twice gives the answer for x of exactly 7, but the arithmetic is so complex that the...
Is it possible to arrange six pencils such that each one touches the other five? If so, how? This is an adaption of a Martin Gardner puzzle only I changed it from cigarettes to pencils and left out the clues because PF folks don’t need clues. From the book “My Best Mathematical and Logic Puzzles”. Dover, 1994.
Thread 'Imaginary Pythagoras'
I posted this in the Lame Math thread, but it's got me thinking. Is there any validity to this? Or is it really just a mathematical trick? Naively, I see that i2 + plus 12 does equal zero2. But does this have a meaning? I know one can treat the imaginary number line as just another axis like the reals, but does that mean this does represent a triangle in the complex plane with a hypotenuse of length zero? Ibix offered a rendering of the diagram using what I assume is matrix* notation...

Similar threads

Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
13
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
1K
Back
Top