Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 4 / 313 of 340 #573 of 1964

Problem 573

AMC 12 late, AIME early
Algebra Difficulty 4.9 Find the answer

Solve the equation
sin⁡sin⁡x=sin⁡(cos⁡x+1) \sin \sin x=\sin (\cos x+1)

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

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Official solution

1. Consider two cases.
(1) If sin⁡x=cos⁡x+1+2πl(l∈Z)\sin x=\cos x+1+2 \pi l(l \in \mathbf{Z}), then
∣2πl∣=∣−1+sin⁡x−cos⁡x∣⩽1+2⇒l=0. \begin{array}{l} |2 \pi l|=|-1+\sin x-\cos x| \leqslant 1+\sqrt{2} \\ \Rightarrow l=0 . \end{array}

Notice that,
sin⁡x−cos⁡x=1⇔sin⁡(x−π4)=22⇔x=π4+(−1)nπ4+πn(n∈Z). \begin{array}{l} \sin x-\cos x=1 \\ \Leftrightarrow \sin \left(x-\frac{\pi}{4}\right)=\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \\ \Leftrightarrow x=\frac{\pi}{4}+(-1)^{n} \frac{\pi}{4}+\pi n(n \in \mathbf{Z}) . \end{array}
(2) If sin⁡x=π−cos⁡x−1+2πl(l∈Z)\sin x=\pi-\cos x-1+2 \pi l(l \in \mathbf{Z}), then
π⩽∣π+2πl∣⩽1+∣sin⁡x+cos⁡x∣⩽1+2.  \pi \leqslant|\pi+2 \pi l| \leqslant 1+|\sin x+\cos x| \leqslant 1+\sqrt{2} \text {. }

This is impossible.
In conclusion, x=π4+(−1)nπ4+πn(n∈Z)x=\frac{\pi}{4}+(-1)^{n} \frac{\pi}{4}+\pi n(n \in \mathbf{Z}).

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.