Properties of Trigonometric Functions

The properties of the 6 trigonometric functions: sin (x), cos (x), tan(x), cot (x), sec
(x) and csc (x) are discussed. These include the graph, domain, range, asymptotes (
any), symmetry, x and y intercepts and maximum and minimum points.

Sine Function : f(x) = sin (x)

 Graph

 Range: [-1 , 1]
 Period = 2π
 x intercepts: x = k π , where k is an integer.
 y intercepts: y = 0
 maximum points: (π/2 + 2 k π , 1) , where k is an integer.
 minimum points: (3π/2 + 2 k π , -1) , where k is an integer.
 symmetry: since sin(-x) = - sin (x) then sin (x) is an odd function
and its graph is symmetric with respect to the origin (0 , 0).
 intervals of increase/decrease: over one period and from 0 to
2π, sin (x) is increasing on the intervals (0 , π/2) and (3π/2 , 2π),
and decreasing on the interval (π/2 , 3π/2).
Cosine Function : f(x) = cos (x)

 Graph

 Domain: all real numbers

 Range: [-1 , 1]
 Period = 2π
 x intercepts: x = π/2 + k π , where k is an integer.
 y intercepts: y = 1
 maximum points: (2 k π , 1) , where k is an integer.
 minimum points: (π + 2 k π , -1) , where k is an integer.
 symmetry: since cos(-x) = cos (x) then cos (x) is an even function
and its graph is symmetric with respect to the y axis.
 intervals of increase/decrease: over one period and from 0 to
2π, cos (x) is decreasing on (0 , π) increasing on (π , 2π).

TRIG HAND TRICK

Tangent Function : f(x) = tan (x)

 Graph

 Domain: all real numbers except π/2 + k π, k is an integer.

 Range: all real numbers
 Period = π
 x intercepts: x = k π , where k is an integer.
 y intercepts: y = 0
 symmetry: since tan(-x) = - tan(x) then tan (x) is an odd function
and its graph is symmetric with respect the origin.

 intervals of increase/decrease: over one period and from -π/2 to

π/2, tan (x) is increasing.
 Vertical asymptotes: x = π/2 + k π, where k is an integer.
Cotangent Function : f(x) = cot (x)

 Graph

 Domain: all real numbers except k π, k is an integer.

 Range: all real numbers
 Period = π
 x intercepts: x = π /2 + k π , where k is an integer.
 symmetry: since cot(-x) = - cot(x) then cot (x) is an odd function
and its graph is symmetric with respect the origin.
 intervals of increase/decrease: over one period and from 0 to π,
cot (x) is decreasing.
 Vertical asymptotes: x = k π, where k is an integer.
Secant Function : f(x) = sec (x)

 Graph

 Domain: all real numbers except π/2 + k π, n is an integer.

 Range: (-infinity , -1] U [1 , +infinity)
 Period = 2 π
 y intercepts: y = 1
 symmetry: since sec(-x) = sec (x) then sec (x) is an even function
and its graph is symmetric with respect to the y axis.
 intervals of increase/decrease: over one period and from 0 to 2
π, sec (x) is increasing on (0 , π/2) U (π/2 , π) and decreasing on
(π , 3π/2) U (3π/2 , 2π).
 Vertical asymptotes: x = π/2 + k π, where k is an integer.
Cosecant Function : f(x) = csc (x)

 Graph

 Domain: all real numbers except k π, k is an integer.

 Range: (-infinity , -1] U [1 , +infinity)
 Period = 2π
 symmetry: since csc(-x) = - csc(x) then csc (x) is an odd function
and its graph is symmetric with respect the origin.
 intervals of increase/decrease: over one period and from 0 to
2π, csc (x) is decreasing on (0 , π/2) U (3π/2 , 2π) and increasing
on (π/2 , π) U (π / , 3π/2).
 Vertical asymptotes: x = k π, where k is an integer.
Calculus: Functions of single variable;
Limit, continuity and differentiability;
Mean value theorems,
local maxima and minima,
Taylor and Maclaurin series;
Evaluation of definite and indefinite integrals,
Application of definite integral to obtain area
and volume;
Partial derivatives;
Total derivative;
Gradient, Divergence and Curl,
Vector identities,
Directional derivatives,
Line, Surface and Volume integrals,
Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems.
Ordinary Differential equations (ODE):
First order (linear and non-linear) equations;
higher order linear equations with constant
coefficients;
Euler-Cauchy equations;
Laplace transform and its application in
solving linear ODEs;
Initial and boundary value problems
Partial Differential Equation (PDE):
Fourier series;
separation of variables;
solutions of one-dimensional diffusion
equation;
first and second order one-dimensional wave
equation and
two-dimensional Laplace equation
Probability and Statistics: Definitions of
probability and sampling theorems;
Conditional probability; Discrete Random
variables: Poisson and Binomial distributions;
Continuous random variables: normal and
exponential distributions; Descriptive
statistics - Mean, median, mode and standard
deviation; Hypothesis testing.
Numerical Methods: Accuracy and
precision; error analysis. Numerical solutions
of linear and non-linear algebraic equations;
Least square approximation, Newton’s and
Lagrange polynomials, numerical
differentiation, Integration by trapezoidal and
Simpson’s rule, single and multi-step
methods for first order differential equations.
Linear Algebra: Matrices,
System of linear Equation,
Eigen Values and Eigen Vector