Final answer:
To solve sec θ − tan θ = cos θ within the interval [0, 2π), we substitute trigonometric identities and simplify to find that θ equals 0 and π.
Step-by-step explanation:
The original equation is sec θ − tan θ = cos θ. We can rewrite sec θ as 1/cos θ and tan θ as sin θ / cos θ to get:
1/cos θ − (sin θ / cos θ) = cos θ
Multiplying through by cos θ to clear the fractions, we have:
1 − sin θ = cos² θ
But cos² θ is equal to 1 − sin² θ, hence:
1 − sin θ = 1 − sin² θ
Subtracting 1 from both sides and simplifying, we get:
sin² θ − sin θ = 0
Factoring out sin θ:
sin θ(sin θ − 1) = 0
So either sin θ = 0 or sin θ − 1 = 0. Hence, θ = 0 or θ = π. Therefore, the solutions in the interval [0, 2π) are 0 and π.