Thread: Mathematics -Tangent-

  1. #1
    essence of digital xddxogm3's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    589

    Mathematics -Tangent-

    So you thought I was done with my mathematics questions. heheheh ;0)
    my book doesn't have the answer, and wanted to know if i was correct.

    Original Question:
    Tan ((17*pi)/3)

    Work:
    ((17*pi)/3)*(180/pi)=1020 degrees //convertion to degrees
    1020 - 360 - 360 = 300 degrees
    reference angle -60 -> sin (60) = -sqrt(3)/2 -> cos (60) = 1/2
    Tan = sin/cos = (-sqrt(3)/2)*(2/1) = -sqrt(3)

    Check:
    Tan-1 (-sqrt(3)) ~ -1.0471975512
    -1.0471975512 * (180/pi) = -60 degrees

    Is this valid? I'm assuming yes.
    Please, one of you wonderful smart math guru, provide me some input.
    Thanks.
    Last edited by xviddivxoggmp3; 02-20-2005 at 12:51 AM.
    "Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence;
    supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
    Art of War Sun Tzu

  2. #2
    .........
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    303
    Yes, looks correct.


    Incase your curious, my horrible way of doing it goes like this, tell me if you understand it.

    The problem: tan(17pi/3)

    Notice that 2pi = 6pi/3 so 17pi/3 = 6pi/3 + 6pi/3 + 5pi/3, so we really want tan(5pi/3), and 5pi/3 is pi/3 less than 6pi/3 so it must be in the 4th quadrant and since tan(pi/3) = Sqrt(3) then tan(5pi/3) = -Sqrt(pi/3) since it is in the 4th quadrant.


    That's how I think about it, probably not the best way lol. Your way of doing it is great.


    Also if you ever get stuck and can't get help here, check out http://www.physicsforums.com/

    They have awesome math subforums, I go there on a daily basis and read posts and stuff.
    Last edited by SourceCode; 02-20-2005 at 01:41 AM.

  3. #3
    People Love Me
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    412
    ermmm...Calculator?

    But 17pi/3 ~ 5.5 pi, which is, in theory, two whole circles, and some change, right? Would that just mean it's 360+360+whatever's left, and you take the tangent of THAT huge angle? Or do you dock off the 360's and take use the 'remainder' as the reference angle?

    Some of that really doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to poor old Deany. You can't really apply such a huge angle to a triangle.
    Last edited by Krak; 02-20-2005 at 12:25 PM.

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    516
    of course you cant apply such a huge angle to a triangle.. and its rite, you dock off the 360's. thats coz tan has a period of 2*pi that is, it repeats itself after an angle of 2*pi radians which is equal to 360 degrees
    Code:
    >+++++++++[<++++++++>-]<.>+++++++[<++++>-]<+.+++++++..+++.[-]>++++++++[<++++>-] <.>+++++++++++[<++++++++>-]<-.--------.+++.------.--------.[-]>++++++++[<++++>- ]<+.[-]++++++++++.

  5. #5
    essence of digital xddxogm3's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    589
    Source Code, you kick @$$.
    Thanks for the info and the website
    i'm just waiting for the registration process to finish on that site. it seems to be taking a while to receive the confirmation email.
    Last edited by xviddivxoggmp3; 02-20-2005 at 01:58 PM.
    "Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence;
    supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
    Art of War Sun Tzu

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. Mathematics book.
    By +Azazel+ in forum C Programming
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 01-22-2008, 11:41 AM
  2. Multiplying tangent and bitangent by scale matrix
    By psychopath in forum Game Programming
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 02-08-2006, 08:28 AM
  3. Insert node in a linked list.
    By antonis in forum C Programming
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 10-22-2005, 02:30 PM
  4. mathematics <exponential>
    By xddxogm3 in forum A Brief History of Cprogramming.com
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 11-18-2004, 12:48 AM
  5. Highschool mathematics
    By Panopticon in forum A Brief History of Cprogramming.com
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 06-09-2003, 12:52 AM