The Fascinating World of Inverse Hyperbolic Functions

Inverse hyperbolic functions, such as the areas hyperbolic sine, cosine, and tangent, play a crucial role in mathematics. They are defined as the inverses of hyperbolic functions and have specific domains and ranges to ensure they are one-to-one. These functions can be expressed in logarithmic form, making them useful in calculus for solving equations and verifying identities. Their extension to the complex plane introduces multi-valued behavior, necessitating the use of principal values.

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Exploring the Tractrix Curve via String Experiment

The tractrix is a fascinating curve that can be generated through a simple mechanical process. Imagine a string of fixed length \( a \) laid out on a flat surface, with one end attached to a point. As the string is pulled perpendicularly across the surface, the free end traces out the tractrix curve. Mathematically, this curve is described by the parametric equations \( x(a, t) = a(\sech(t) - t) \) and \( y(a, t) = a \tanh(t) \), where \( t \) is a parameter. The function \( \sech(t) \) represents the hyperbolic secant, which is involved in the curve's equation, highlighting the connection between the tractrix and hyperbolic functions.
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Introduction to Inverse Hyperbolic Functions

Inverse hyperbolic functions are the counterparts to the well-known inverse trigonometric functions. They are defined as the inverses of the hyperbolic functions, such as sine, cosine, and tangent, but with a hyperbolic twist. The primary inverse hyperbolic functions are the areas hyperbolic sine (\( \sinh^{-1}(x) \)), cosine (\( \cosh^{-1}(x) \)), and tangent (\( \tanh^{-1}(x) \)). There are also the inverse hyperbolic secant (\( \sech^{-1}(x) \)), cosecant (\( \csch^{-1}(x) \)), and cotangent (\( \coth^{-1}(x) \)). These functions are defined over specific domains to ensure they are one-to-one and hence invertible. For example, \( \cosh(x) \) is an even function, so its inverse, \( \cosh^{-1}(x) \), is typically restricted to \( x \geq 1 \) to maintain a unique output for each input.

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1

Reflection property of inverse hyperbolic functions

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Inverse hyperbolic functions reflect across line y=x, swapping independent and dependent variables.

2

Behavior of tanh(x) and its inverse

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tanh(x) has a bounded range (-1,1); arctanh(x) has corresponding domain (-1,1).

3

Derivative of sinh^(-1)(x)

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1/sqrt(x^2 + 1)

4

Derivative of cosh^(-1)(x) for x > 1

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1/sqrt(x^2 - 1)

5

To maintain consistency in the complex domain, ______ ______ are selected for the inverse hyperbolic functions.

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principal values

6

Definitions of inverse hyperbolic functions

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sinh^-1(x) = ln(x + sqrt(x^2 + 1)), cosh^-1(x) = ln(x + sqrt(x^2 - 1)), tanh^-1(x) = 0.5 * ln((1 + x) / (1 - x))

7

Domains and ranges of inverse hyperbolic functions

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sinh^-1(x): Dom(all R), Range(all R); cosh^-1(x): Dom(x >= 1), Range(0 to inf); tanh^-1(x): Dom(-1 < x < 1), Range(all R)

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