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Sin^6x + cos^6x = 1/4

User Saritus
by
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1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:


\displaystyle x = (\pi)/(4) + k\, \pi for integer
k (including negative numbers.)

Explanation:

Pythagorean Identity:
\sin^(2)(x) + \cos^(2)(x) = 1. Equivalently,
\cos^(2)(x) = 1 - \sin^(2)(x).

Rewrite the original equation and apply this substitution to eliminate
\cos(x):


\displaystyle \sin^(6)(x) + \cos^(6)(x) = (1)/(4).


\displaystyle (\sin^(2)(x))^(3) + (\cos^(2)(x))^(3) = (1)/(4).


\displaystyle (\sin^(2)(x))^(3) + (1 - \sin^(2)(x))^(3) = (1)/(4).

Let
y = \sin(x) (
-1 \le y \le 1.) The original equation is equivalent to the following equation about
y:


\displaystyle y^(6) + (1 - y^(2))^(3) = (1)/(4).

Expand the cubic binomial in the equation:


\displaystyle y^(6) + 1 - 3\, y^(2) + 3\, (y^(2))^(2) - (y^(2))^(3) = (1)/(4).


\displaystyle y^(6) + 1 - 3\, y^(2) + 3\, y^(4) - y^(6) = (1)/(4).

Simplify to obtain:


\displaystyle 1 - 3\, y^(2) + 3\, y^(4) = (1)/(4).

Rearrange and simplify:


12\, y^(4) - 12\, y^(2) + 3 = 0.


3\, (2\, y^(2) - 1)^(2) = 0.


2\, y^(2) - 1 = 0.


\displaystyle y^(2) - (1)/(2) = 0.

Solve for
y:

Either
\displaystyle y = (1)/(√(2)) or
\displaystyle y = -(1)/(√(2)).

If
\displaystyle \sin(x) = y = (1)/(√(2)), then
\displaystyle x = (\pi)/(4) + 2\, k\,\pi for all
k\in \mathbb{Z}.

On the other hand, if
\displaystyle \sin(x) = y = (1)/(√(2)), then
\displaystyle x = (3\, \pi)/(4) + 2\, k\,\pi = (\pi)/(4) + (2\, k + 1) \, \pi for all
k\in \mathbb{Z}.

Combine both situations to obtain:


\displaystyle x = (\pi)/(4) + 2\, k\, \pi for all
k \in \mathbb{Z}.

User Roplacebo
by
6.6k points