# Math Help - identity

1. ## identity

$\frac{(tan \theta + sec \theta -1 )}{(tan \theta - sec \theta +1 )}= tan \theta + sec \theta$

2. The identity can be rewritten as:

$tan \theta+sec \theta - 1=(tan \theta-sec \theta+1)(tan\theta+sec\theta)$

$tan \theta+sec \theta - 1=tan ^2\theta -sec \theta tan \theta + tan \theta + sec \theta tan\theta - sec^2\theta+sec \theta$

$tan \theta+sec \theta - 1=tan^2\theta +tan\theta - sec^2\theta+sec \theta$

$tan \theta+sec \theta -1=-1+tan\theta+sec\theta$

which is always true.

3. arent i suppose to use the left hand side only, and prove it is equal to the right hand side?

4. Originally Posted by z1llch
arent i suppose to use the left hand side only, and prove it is equal to the right hand side?
No; you can cheat.

5. hahaha. i'm stuck with the number 1. guessed i'm supposed to use the cos2+sin2=1 formula to get rid of it, but do not know how. or maybe i;m wrong, there other way.

6. Originally Posted by z1llch
$\frac{(tan \theta + sec \theta -1 )}{(tan \theta - sec \theta +1 )}= tan \theta + sec \theta$
We can write it as,

$\frac{\tan\theta+\sec\theta-1}{\tan\theta-\sec\theta+1}$

$= \frac{\tan\theta+\sec\theta+\tan^2\theta-\sec^2\theta}{\tan\theta-\sec\theta+1}$

$= \frac{(\tan\theta+\sec\theta)(\tan\theta-\sec\theta+1)}{\tan\theta-\sec\theta+1}$

$= \tan\theta+\sec\theta$

7. Originally Posted by alexmahone
No; you can cheat.
to prove an identity, you must work with one side at a time

8. thank you great_math.
took me an hour to come up with those lines this morning. but mine is way longer..