Sines and Cosines for Fractions of

The exact values of the trig ratios sin x and cos x for x = , /2, /3, /4 and /6 are
taught in schools i.e.
x
/2 /3 /4 /6
sin x

cos x

3
2
1
2

1
2
1
2

1
2
3
2

But what about sin 5 and cos 5 ? These trig ratios can be obtained by finding expressions
for sin 5x and cos 5x in terms of powers of sin x and cos x i.e.
cos 5x = 5 cos x 20 cos3 x + 16 cos5 x
sin 5x = 5 sin x 20 sin3 x + 16 sin5 x

. Setting sin 5x = 0 gives a fifth-order equation for sin x but when a factor of sin x is canceled,
this gives a quadratic equation for sin2 x and hence leads
to the values for sin 5 and
sin 2
. A
5
q
q

similar equation can be solved to get cos 5 . sin 5 = 41 10 2 5 and cos 5 = 14 6 + 2 5 =

1
1
5. The values of sin 2
+
and cos 2
can also be found from the analysis.
4
4
5
5
Exact values for sin 8 and cos 8 can be found by solving the equations 1 2 sin2 x = 12
q

and 2 cos2 x 1 = 12 (both based on cos 2x = cos 4 . These give sin 8 = 21 2 2 and
q

cos 8 = 12 2 + 2. This is an example of finding the trig ratios for 2n

if the values for n are

known

and cos 2
Using this principle, the values of sin and cos of /10 can be obtained from sin 2
5
5
as found earlier.
Values of sin and cos of /12 can be obtained by two methods i.e. one involving the sin
and cos of /3 and /4 and the other involving the ratios at /6. The first of these states that
sin /12 = sin /3 cos /4 + sin /3 cos /4.
So, it would seem that there are two circumstances under which sin /n and cos /n can be
found.
1). If n = 2m i.e. if n is even and sin /m and cos /m are known then sin /n and cos /n
can be found e.g. sin and cos of /10 are known so sin and cos of /20 can be found.
2). If 1/n can be expressed as 1/a 1/b where the trig ratios can be calculated for /a and

/b, then the ratios can be calculated for /n. For example, as the trig ratios can be calculated
for /4 and /5 so they can be calculated for /4 /5.

However, in practice, route 2) will only give a few values that cannot be found through route
1). There is however, another circumstance under which sin and cos of /n can be found. If
k

n is a Fermat Prime i.e. a prime number of the form 22 + 1, then sin /n and cos /n can be
found exactly. n = 3 and n = 5 are Fermat primes and the sine and cosine of /3 and /5 can
be found (see above).
The next Fermat prime is 17 and it turns out that sin /17 and cos /17 can be found. Similarly, for the two remaining known Fermat primes n = 257 and n = 65537, the sine and cosine
of /n can be found.
Using technique 1) above, on the basis of sin/17 and cos /17, the sines and cosines of /34,
/68, /136 etc. can be found.
Route 2) can be used for sin /n and cos /n where n is the product of two Fermat Primes
greater than 2.
Also, it is worth pointing out that if sin /n and cos /n can be found, then so can sin m/n
and cos m/n from the formulae for sin and cos of A + B etc.
So, sin /n and cos /n can be found for
n = 2k 3p 5q 17r 257s 65537t where k is a positive or zero integer and the indices

p, q, r, s, t are all either zero or 1. Values of n under 1000 are as given in the following table.
2
3
4
5
6
8
10 12
15

16

17

20

24

30

32

34

40

48

51

60

64

68

80

85

96

102

120

128

136

160

170

192

204

240

255

256

257

272

320

340

384

408

480

510

512

514

544

640

680 768 771 816 960

The sines and cosines of values of m/n for n 32 are given in the following tables.

sin = 0

cos = 1

sin 2 = 1

3
2

1
4 = q
2

1
=
10

2
5
5
4 q

1
2
5 = 4 10 + 2 5

1
6 = 2q

=
2
8
2 q

3
1
2
8 = 2q 2 +

1
1

1
6

2
=
+
5
=

10
4q
4
4 5

3
1
1
1
10 = 4 6 + 2 5 = 4 + 4 5

2
=
12
4

1
5
6
+
2
=
12
4q

1
1

1
10
+
2
3

=
5
+
15
8 q
8
8 15

1
1
2
1
10

2
3
+
=

5
+
15
8
8 15
q8

4
1
1
1
15 = 8 q10 + 2 5 8 3 + 8 15

7
1
1
1
10

2
=
5
+
3
+
15
8r
8
8 15
q

1
=
2

2
+
2
16
2r
q

1
3
2
16 = 2 r2 2
q

1
5
2
+
2

=
2
16
2r
q

1
7
2
16 = 2 2 + 2 +

sin 3 =
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin
sin

cos 2 = 0

1
2

1
4 = q
2

1
1
1
=
6
+
2
5
=
+
5
4 q
4
4 5

1
1
2
1
=
+
6

2
5
=

5
4
4 5
4

3
3 = 2q

2
+
2
=
8
2 q

3
1
2
8 = 2q 2

1
10
+
2
=
5
10
4q

3
1
10 = 4 10 2 5

6
+
2
=
12
4

1
5
6

2
=
12
4
q

1
1
3
10
+
2
=

+
5
+
5
15
8
8
8q

2
1
1
3
15 = 8 + 8 5 + 8 q10 2 5

3
4
1
1
10
+
2
5
+
5
=

15
8
8
8 q

7
1
1
3
10 2 5
15 = r8 8 5 + 8
q

1
=
2
+
2
+
2
16
2r
q

1
3
2
16 = 2 r2 + 2
q

1
5
2

2
=
16
2r
q

1
7
2
16 = 2 2 2 +

cos 3 =
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos
cos

= 17 +

17

= 17 17

= 17 1
q

= 34 + 6 17 + 2 8 2
q

= 2 17 + 3 17 2 2 2

q
= 18 2 ( )2 2( + )

= 81 2 15 + 17 + 2( + )
cos 17

1
= 16 2 4( )2 2 2 + 8 2 ( 2 + 2 )

1
=
[
+
cos 2
2( + )]
17
16
q

sin 17

sin 2
17

sin 3
17 = sin 17 cos 17 + cos 17 sin 17

sin 4
17

cos 3
= cos 2
cos 17
sin 2
sin 17
17
17
17
q

1
= 128
[ 2 + 2( + )] 4( )2 2 2 + 8 2 ( 2 + 2 )
i
h

2
2
2(
+

)
+
2(
+

128
cos 4
=

+
2
17
128

sin 5
17 = sin 17 cos 17 + cos 17 sin 17

cos 5
17 = cos 17 cos 17 sin 17 sin 17

4
2
4
2
sin 6
17 = sin 17 cos 17 + cos 17 sin 17

4
2
4
2
cos 6
17 = cos 17 cos 17 sin 17 sin 17

sin 7
17 = sin 17 cos 17 cos 17 sin 17

sin 8
17

cos 7
= cos 8
cos 17
+ sin 8
sin 17
17
17
17
q

1
= 16 136 8 17 + 8 2 2( 34 3 2) + 2( + 2 )
q

8
1
cos 17 = 16 [ + 2 2 17 + 3 17 2 2 2]


sin =
2 10 + 2 5
q

1
3
sin 20 = 4 8 2 10 2 5
r
q

7
1
sin 20 = 4 8 + 2 10 2 5
r
q

9
1
sin 20 = 4 8 + 2 10 + 2 5
q

sin 24 = 4 8 2 2 2 6
q

5
1
sin 24 = 4 8 + 2 2 2 6
q

7
1
sin 24 = 4 8 2 2 + 2 6
q

1
=
sin 11
8
+
2
2
+
2
6
24
4r
q

= 18 1 5 + 30 6 5
sin 30
r
q

7
1
sin 30 = 8 1 5 + 30 + 6 5
r
q

11
1
sin 30 = 8 1 + 5 + 30 6 5
r
q

13
1
sin 30 = 8 1 + 5 + 30 + 6 5
s
r
q

sin 32 = 2 2 2 + 2 + 2
s
r
q

3
1
sin 32 = 2 2 2 + 2 2
s
r
q

5
1
sin 32 = 2 2 2 2 2
s
r
q

7
1
sin 32 = 2 2 2 2 + 2
s
r
q

1
9
sin 32 = 2 2 + 2 2 + 2
s
r
q

1
11
sin 32 = 2 2 + 2 2 2
s
r
q

13
1
sin 32 = 2 2 + 2 + 2 2
s
r
q

15
1
sin 32 = 2 2 + 2 + 2 + 2

20

r
1
4 r8

+ 2 10 + 2 5
q

1
3
cos 20 = 4 8 + 2 10 2 5
r
q

7
1
cos 20 = 4 8 2 10 2 5
r
q

9
1
cos 20 = 4 8 2 10 + 2 5
q

cos 24 = 4 8 + 2 2 + 2 6
q

5
1
cos 24 = 4 8 2 2 + 2 6
q

7
1
cos 24 = 4 8 + 2 2 2 6
q

1
=
cos 11
8

2
2

2
6
24
4r
q

= 81
cos 30
3 + 15 + 10 2 5
r
q

7
1
cos 30 = 8 3 + 15 + 10 + 2 5
r
q

11
1
3 + 15 10 2 5
cos 30 = 8
r
q

13
1
3 15 + 10 + 2 5
cos 30 = 8
s
r
q

cos 32 = 2 2 + 2 + 2 + 2
s
r
q

3
1
cos 32 = 2 2 + 2 + 2 2
s
r
q

5
1
cos 32 = 2 2 + 2 2 2
s
r
q

7
1
cos 32 = 2 2 + 2 2 + 2
s
r
q

1
9
cos 32 = 2 2 2 2 + 2
s
r
q

1
11
cos 32 = 2 2 2 2 2
s
r
q

13
1
cos 32 = 2 2 2 + 2 2
s
r
q

15
1
cos 32 = 2 2 2 + 2 + 2
cos

20

r
1
4 r8