11th December 2008

This is a very standard problem.
Many of you must have solved this one. This is not for those of you who get the 99.5%ile+ in FIITJEE Mathematics tests ;)

But for many other mortals who fear things. Pls try to solve this. It is not that tough. Only a small trick is involved.

If you dont know how to prove this one.. Pls try to make sure that you do. It is much simpler than you can think :)

We know or have heard of this sum

sin.x + sin 2x + sin 3x ............... + sin nx.

How will you solve

sin kx + sin 2kx + sin 3kx .............. + sin nkx ?

(If you look closely both are exactly the same. x<=>kx!!)

Hint Think of "Imaginary Part of eix

22 Answers

62
Lokesh Verma ·

yup abhishek.. that is what i was looking for :)

1
Parul Kohli ·

Really its very useful......
Thanxxx

1
varun ·

sum = eix ( 1 - einx) / ( 1 - eix )

multiply and divide by ( 1 - e-ix )

= (eix) ( 1 - e-ix ) (1 - enix) / 2 - 2cosx

= (eix - 1)(1 - enix) / 2 - 2cosx

= (eix - e(n+1)ix - 1 + enix) / 2 - 2cosx

Imginary part =

sin(x) - sin(n+1)x + sin(nx) / 2 - 2cosx..

Is it correct ?

62
Lokesh Verma ·

Sin x= Imaginary(eix)
Sin 2x= Imaginary(ei2x)

Sin rx = Imaginary(eirx)

Sin nx = Imaginary(einx)

Take the sum

Sinx+sin2x+......... sin nx = Imaginary (eix+ ei2x+ ......... einx)

Note that the RHS is a Geometric Progression

Take the sum oft the GP it will be something something.. (A complex number...)

Then for that complex number find the Imaginary part! (Done!)

Could someone ppost the complete solution? (Last 2 steps?!)

1
skygirl ·

my previous ans was not correct.. dats y i had hidden it... :(
it will be a g.p. n will get the sum of it n take the imaginary part of it..

62
Lokesh Verma ·

not exactly ram kumar

it is different from what you have written

hint Sin rx = Imaginary(eirx)

Sum that we need is sum of all such terms..

take the sum inside and then apply imaginary

33
Abhishek Priyam ·

:(

1
Pavithra Ramamoorthy ·

is it e(1+2+3......+n)ix - ncosnx ???

33
Abhishek Priyam ·

yup.. :)

62
Lokesh Verma ·

yup but that was long back.. and not a part of the question of the day.. :)

and then we had hardly what 3 active users ? ;)

33
Abhishek Priyam ·

I think earlier same question was once given..

1
? ·

it is sin[kx+(n-1)kx/2]sin(nkx/2) / sin(kx/2)

33
Abhishek Priyam ·

imaginary part of Σeirkx

62
Lokesh Verma ·

But then the good thing is that you will learn this forever :)

And hopefully appreciate it as well :)

62
Lokesh Verma ·

Srinath and sky(i am not fully sure of what she means) but yeah they two probably know it :)

I am a bit surprised unique and Anirudha.. bcos i really felt that this was a very well known problem!

1
? ·

i got this result as a conequence of trignometric derivation... but how can we use complex numbers here ?

1
voldy ·

there we get the eiα form for every term , they are in gp . then take Sn no?

1
voldy ·

it's in the derivation of the formula for sinα + sin(α+β) + .......+sin(α+nβ) no ?

substituting in that formula we get it no?

1
skygirl ·

imaginary part of e^ikn(n+1)x/2...

62
Lokesh Verma ·

Well unique it may be that.. i dont remember the sum...

But if you could fit in some complex number this dirty looking problem would look absolutely marvellous. You will start to love how closely mathematics is intermingled

And how closely everything meets together.. Be it vectors, coordinate geometry, complex numbers.. and even trigonometry! (This is one awesome example)

Anirudh.. I thought that this was a well known problem... But the trigonometric proof of it is very dirty...
It really really becomes beautiful when you conceal the dirt in a beautiful envelope of complex (I wud rather cut it short before I get too philosophical ... ;)

11
Anirudh Narayanan ·

What is sinx + sin 2x + sin 3x ............... + sin nx? I didn't know that it was a special sum :(

1
? ·

imaginary part ??... for what ?

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