Question 15 Marks
Prove that $\cos \frac{2 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{4 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{8 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{16 \pi}{15}=\frac{1}{16}$
Answer
$\begin{array}{l}\text { LHS }=\cos \frac{2 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{4 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{8 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{16 \pi}{15} \\
=\cos \frac{2 \pi}{15} \cos 2\left(\frac{2 \pi}{15}\right) \cos 4\left(\frac{2 \pi}{15}\right) \cos 8\left(\frac{2 \pi}{15}\right)\end{array}$
Put $\frac{2 \pi}{15}=\alpha$
$\begin{array}{l}\Rightarrow \text { LHS }=\cos \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha \\ \left.=\frac{2 \sin \alpha[\cos \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha]}{2 \sin \alpha} \text { [multiplying numerator and denominator by } 2 \sin \alpha\right] \\ =\frac{(2 \sin \alpha \cdot \cos \alpha) \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha}{2 \sin \alpha} \\ =\frac{2(\sin 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha)}{2(2 \sin \alpha)}[\because 2 \sin \alpha \cos \alpha=\sin 2 \alpha \text { and multiplying numerator and denominator by } 2] \\ =\frac{(2 \sin 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha) \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha}{4 \sin \alpha} \\ =\frac{2(\sin 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha) \cos 8 \alpha}{2(4 \sin \alpha)}[\because 2 \sin \alpha \cos \alpha=\sin 2 \alpha \text { and multiplying numerator and denominator by } 2]\end{array}$
$\begin{array}{l}=\frac{2(\sin 8 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha)}{2(8 \sin \alpha)} \\ =\frac{\sin 16 \alpha}{16 \sin \alpha}=\frac{\sin (15 \alpha+\alpha)}{16 \sin \alpha}\end{array}$
Now, $15 \alpha=2 \pi$,
$=\frac{\sin (2 \pi+\alpha)}{16 \sin \alpha}=\frac{\sin \alpha}{16 \sin \alpha}=\frac{1}{16}=$ RHS
$\therefore$ LHS $=$ RHS
Hence proved.
View full question & answer→$\begin{array}{l}\text { LHS }=\cos \frac{2 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{4 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{8 \pi}{15} \cdot \cos \frac{16 \pi}{15} \\
=\cos \frac{2 \pi}{15} \cos 2\left(\frac{2 \pi}{15}\right) \cos 4\left(\frac{2 \pi}{15}\right) \cos 8\left(\frac{2 \pi}{15}\right)\end{array}$
Put $\frac{2 \pi}{15}=\alpha$
$\begin{array}{l}\Rightarrow \text { LHS }=\cos \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha \\ \left.=\frac{2 \sin \alpha[\cos \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha]}{2 \sin \alpha} \text { [multiplying numerator and denominator by } 2 \sin \alpha\right] \\ =\frac{(2 \sin \alpha \cdot \cos \alpha) \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha}{2 \sin \alpha} \\ =\frac{2(\sin 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha)}{2(2 \sin \alpha)}[\because 2 \sin \alpha \cos \alpha=\sin 2 \alpha \text { and multiplying numerator and denominator by } 2] \\ =\frac{(2 \sin 2 \alpha \cdot \cos 2 \alpha) \cdot \cos 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha}{4 \sin \alpha} \\ =\frac{2(\sin 4 \alpha \cdot \cos 4 \alpha) \cos 8 \alpha}{2(4 \sin \alpha)}[\because 2 \sin \alpha \cos \alpha=\sin 2 \alpha \text { and multiplying numerator and denominator by } 2]\end{array}$
$\begin{array}{l}=\frac{2(\sin 8 \alpha \cdot \cos 8 \alpha)}{2(8 \sin \alpha)} \\ =\frac{\sin 16 \alpha}{16 \sin \alpha}=\frac{\sin (15 \alpha+\alpha)}{16 \sin \alpha}\end{array}$
Now, $15 \alpha=2 \pi$,
$=\frac{\sin (2 \pi+\alpha)}{16 \sin \alpha}=\frac{\sin \alpha}{16 \sin \alpha}=\frac{1}{16}=$ RHS
$\therefore$ LHS $=$ RHS
Hence proved.

