correct way to write trig ratio in an equation? you ar

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sherif

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Dec 23, 2016
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hello
in the country-wide exam which it's grade decides what university you're allowed to attend....there was a question written as :
y=cot(pi/2)t
(with the t outside the bracket)..and the choices for the answer depended on the t being a part of the angle not multiplied by the cot!
my question is ...is that right? does making it after the cot mean it is a part of the angle even if it is outside the bracket? and if not....how exactly are the terms after a trig ratio clarified as a part of the angle or not especially if there are no brackets?

thanks in advance
 
"cot" doesn't mean anything without the argument. It is unlikely that it means [cot(pi/2)]*t. The parentheses are just to make sure you don't think it is cot(pi/(2*t)). It's cot((pi/2)t).
 
Too many mathematicians do not use proper function notation, when writing trigonometric expressions. I think it's because they're lazy.

I once saw "cos2x" in a math textbook, and the author was trying to talk about cos(2) times a variable x.

The whole situation is just stupid.

The correct way to write a trig function (or any function) is to enclose the function input within parentheses.

The expression cot(Pi/2*t) is not ambiguous, for people who understand the Order of Operations. :cool:
 
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