Is #cosx+sinx-1=0# a root for #cos^2x+sin^2x-1 = 0# ?

3 Answers
Aug 5, 2017

#"see explanation"#

Explanation:

#"basically because "#

#sqrt(sin^2x+cos^2x)!=sinx+cosx#

#"note that"#

#(sinx+cosx)^2#

#=sin^2x+2sinxcosx+cos^2x#

#!=sin^2x+cos^2x#

Aug 5, 2017

Please see below.

Explanation:

Remember that

#y = sqrtx# if and only if #y^2 = x# (and #y >= 0#)

Why is #7 = sqrt49#? #" "# Because #7^2 = 49# (and #7 >= 0#)

Many people initially think that #a+b# is the same as #sqrt(a^2+b^2)#.(Until they learn that it's not.)

But that would only by true if #(a+b)^2# turned out to be the same as #a^2+b^2#.

It doesn't.

#(a+b)^2 = (a+b)(a+b)#

# = color(blue)((a+b))(color(red)(a)+color(red)(b))#

# = color(red)(a)color(blue)((a+b))+color(red)(b)color(blue)((a+b))#

# = color(red)(a)color(blue)(a)+color(red)(a)color(blue)(b)+color(red)(b)color(blue)(a)+color(red)(b)color(blue)(b)#

# = aa+ab+ba + b b#

# = a^2+2ab+b^2#

Which is not the same as #a^2+b^2#

(Unless one or both of #a# and #b# are #0#.)

Here's an example using numbers:

#3^2+4^2 = 9+16 = 25#

and #sqrt25 = 5# #" "# (Because #5^2 = 25#)

So #sqrt(3^2+4^2)# is not the same as #3+4#

Aug 5, 2017

See below.

Explanation:

If #cosx+sinx-1=0# is a root of #cos^2x+sin^2x-1# then

#cos^2x+sin^2x-1=(cosx+sinx-1)^alpha P(sinx,cosx)#

where #P(sinx,cosx)# is a suitable non null polynomial.

Now given any #x_0 in RR, x_0 ne pi/2+2kpi# such that #P(sinx_0,cosx_0) ne 0# we have

#0=(cos x_0+sin x_0-1)^alphaP(sin x_0,cosx_0) rArr cos x_0+sin x_0-1=0#

because #cos^2x+sin^2x-1=0# is an identity

but #cos x_0+sin x_0-1=0# is not true unless #x_0 = pi/2 + 2kpi, k=0,pm1,pm2,pm3,cdots# so it is an absurd and #cosx+sinx-1=0# is not a root for #cos^2x+sin^2x-1#