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Difference between revisions of "1996 USAMO Problems/Problem 1"
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'''Problem'''
 
'''Problem'''
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Prove that the average of the numbers <math> n\sin n^{\circ}\; (n = 2,4,6,\ldots,180) </math> is <math>\cot 1^\circ</math>.
  
 
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Revision as of 20:50, 4 November 2012

Problem Prove that the average of the numbers $n\sin n^{\circ}\; (n = 2,4,6,\ldots,180)$ is $\cot 1^\circ$.


Solution:

First, as $180\sin{180^\circ}=0,$ we omit that term. Now, we multiply by $\sin 1^\circ$ to get, after using product to sum, $(\cos 1^\circ-\cos 3^\circ+2(\cos 3^\circ-\cos5)+\cdots +89(\cos 177^\circ-\cos 179^\circ)$. This simplifies to $90\cos 1^\circ+\cos 3^\circ +\cos 5^\circ+\cos 7^\circ+...+\cos 177^\circ$. Since $\cos x=-\cos(180-x),$ this simplifies to $90\cos 1^\circ$. We multiplied by $\sin 1^\circ$ in the beginning, so we must divide by it now, and thus the sum is just $90\cot 1^\circ$, so the average is $\cot 1^\circ$, as desired.

$\Box$

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