3.

5 Inverse Trigonometric
Functions
 Inverse sine (or arcsine) function
• f(x)=sin x is not one-to-one
• But the function f(x)=sin x , -π/2 ≤ x ≤ π/2 is one-to-
one. The restricted sine function has an inverse
function which is denoted by sin-1 or arcsin and is
called inverse sine (or arcsine) function.
1
sin x  y  sin y  x

• Example: sin-1(1/2) = π/6 .

• Cancellation equations for sin and sin-1:

1  
sin (sin x)  x for   x 
2 2
sin(sin 1 x)  x for  1  x  1
 d y  sin 1 x
We can use implicit sin 1 x 1.5
differentiation to find: dx
1

y  sin 1 x 0.5 y  sin x

sin y  x -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5

-0.5
d d
sin y  x -1
dx dx
-1.5

dy
cos y 1
dx
dy 1

dx cos y
 d
We can use implicit sin 1 x
differentiation to find: dx
1
y  sin x sin 2 y  cos2 y  1
cos2 y  1  sin 2 y
sin y  x
cos y   1  sin 2 y
d d
sin y  x
dx dx  
But   y
dy 2 2
1 dy 1
cos y 
dx dx 1  sin 2 y so cos y is positive.
dy 1
 dy 1
dx cos y   cos y  1  sin 2 y
dx 1  x2
 Inverse cosine function
• f(x)=cos x is not one-to-one
• But the function f(x)=cos x , 0 ≤ x ≤ π is one-to-one.
The restricted cosine function has an inverse function
which is denoted by cos-1 or arccos and is called
inverse cosine function. 1
cos x  y  cos y  x
• Example: cos-1(1/2) = π/3 .
• Cancellation equations for cos and cos-1:
cos 1 (cos x)  x for 0  x  
cos(cos 1 x)  x for  1  x  1
• Derivative of cos-1 : d 1 1
(cos x)  
dx 1 x2
 Inverse tangent function
• f(x)=tan x is not one-to-one
• But the function f(x)=tan x , -π/2 < x < π/2 is one-to-
one. The restricted tangent function has an inverse
function which is denoted by tan-1 or arctan and is
called inverse tangent function.
1
tan x  y  tan y  x
• Example: tan-1(1) = π/4 .

1  1 
• Limits involving tan-1: lim tan x lim tan x
x  2 x  2

• Derivative of tan-1: d 1 1
(tan x) 
dx 1 x 2