# $\sum \cos$ when angles are in arithmetic progression [duplicate]

Prove $$\cos(\alpha) + \cos(\alpha + \beta) + \cos(\alpha + 2\beta) + \dots + \cos[\alpha + (n-1)\beta] = \frac{\cos(\alpha + \frac{n-1}{2}\beta) \cdot \sin\frac{n\beta}{2}}{\sin\frac{\beta}{2}}$$

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## marked as duplicate by Aryabhata, Did, t.b., Américo Tavares, VelvetThunderMar 6 '12 at 20:38

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

You first! (Please don't write your question in the imperative. If it's your assignment to prove the identity, please let us know what you've already tried.) –  Adam Saltz Mar 6 '12 at 15:48

## 1 Answer

There is a solution. But I assume and hope that you have already try to solve the problem by yourself. (I am french, so it could explain my strange written english. If you have any gramatical advice don't hesitate. :))

$\cos(\alpha)+\cos(\alpha+\beta)+...+\cos(\alpha+(n-1)\beta)={\displaystyle \dfrac{1}{2}\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}e^{i(\alpha+k\beta)}+e^{-i(\alpha+k\beta)}=\dfrac{1}{2}}\left(e^{i\alpha}\dfrac{e^{in\beta}-1}{e^{i\beta}-1}+e^{-i\alpha}\dfrac{e^{-in\beta}-1}{e^{-i\beta}-1}\right)=\dfrac{1}{2}\left(e^{i(\alpha+\dfrac{n-1}{2}\beta)}\dfrac{e^{i\dfrac{n}{2}\beta}-e^{-i\dfrac{n}{2}\beta}}{e^{i\dfrac{1}{2}\beta}-e^{-i\dfrac{1}{2}\beta}}+e^{-i(\alpha+\dfrac{n-1}{2}\beta)}\dfrac{e^{-i\dfrac{n}{2}\beta}-e^{i\dfrac{n}{2}\beta}}{e^{-i\dfrac{1}{2}\beta}-e^{i\dfrac{1}{2}\beta}}\right)=$

$\dfrac{e^{i(\alpha+\dfrac{n-1}{2}\beta)}+e^{-i(\alpha+\dfrac{n-1}{2}\beta)}}{2}\left(\dfrac{e^{i\dfrac{n}{2}\beta}-e^{-i\dfrac{n}{2}\beta}}{e^{i\dfrac{1}{2}\beta}-e^{-i\dfrac{1}{2}\beta}}\right)=\dfrac{\cos\left(\alpha+\dfrac{n-1}{2}\beta\right)\sin\left(\dfrac{n\beta}{2}\right)}{\sin\left(\dfrac{\beta}{2}\right)}$

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