User:Wsjradha/Cotangent Sum Problem: Difference between revisions
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<math>z^{20} - 4z^{19} + 9z^{18} - 16z^{17} + \cdots + 441 = 0</math> | <math>z^{20} - 4z^{19} + 9z^{18} - 16z^{17} + \cdots + 441 = 0</math> | ||
Calculate the value of | Calculate the value of <cmath>\cot{\left(\sum_{k = 1}^{20} \cot^{ - 1}{z_k}\right)}.</cmath> | ||
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== Solution: == | == Solution: == | ||
Revision as of 17:07, 19 December 2008
Problem:
Let
be the twenty (complex) roots of the equation:
Calculate the value of
Solution:
For the purpose of this solution
will be the sum of the roots of the 20th degree polynomial, taken
at a time.
For example,
Also,
will be the sum of the cotangent inverses of the roots, taken
at a time. The cotangent inverses will be multiplied as necessary, then added.
Also,
will be the sum of the tangents of the cotangent inverses of the roots, taken
at a time. Basically, this is the same as
except that the tangents are taken right after the cotangent inverses.
For example,
Let
This equals
There is a formula that states the following, where, for the purposes of this formula only,
, is the sum of
through
, taken
at a time, in the fashion described above:
When applied to this problem, it yields:
Taking the reciprocal of either side, one gets:
Multiple the numerator and the denominator of the right hand side by
.
can be determined, from the original 20th degree equation using Vieta's Formulas, to be
Therefore,
This simplifies to