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Geometric and trigonometric characterization of the Dottie number (ԃ)

Article · July 2017

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Ricardo Armando Pabon Pinilla

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 Geometric and trigonometric characterization of the Dottie number (ԃ)
Ricardo Pabón

The Dottie number is the unique real root of cos(x)=x. This constant is closely related to pi and
the unit circle as will be shown below.
𝜋
1. What is the area A of the circular segment if 𝜃 = 2 + ԃ ?
Knowing that[1]
R2 (𝜃 − sin(𝜃))
𝐴=
2

then
𝜋 𝜋
+ ԃ − sin ( 2 + ԃ)
𝐴=2
2

𝜋
Since cos(ԃ) = ԃ then sin ( 2 + ԃ) = ԃ, then
𝜋
𝐴=
4
Figure 1. Circular segment

𝜋
2. What is the area of the rectangular section if 𝜃 = 2 + ԃ ?
Knowing that
𝜃 𝜃
𝑎 = 2 sin ( ) , 𝑏 = 2 cos ( )
2 2
then
𝜃 𝜃
𝐴 = 4 sin ( ) cos ( )
2 2
= 2 sin(𝜃)
= 2ԃ

Figure 2. Rectangular section

3. If two unit circles overlap symmetrically in such a way that

𝜋
the area of the intersection region is 2 [2], what is the distance
𝑚 between the centers of the circles?
𝜋
Knowing that the area of the circular segment of each circle is 4 , we assume that 𝜃 =
𝜋
+ ԃ, then
2
𝜋
𝑚 +ԃ
= cos ( 2 )
2 2

Figure 3. Two unit circles overlap then

symmetrically
𝜋 ԃ
𝑚 = 2 cos ( + )
4 2

4. Identities related to the Dottie number

𝑒 ԃ𝑖 +𝑒 −ԃ𝑖
i. cos(ԃ) = =ԃ
2

ii. sin(ԃ) = √1 − ԃ2

𝜋 𝜋
iii. sin ( 2 + ԃ) = sin ( 2 − ԃ) = ԃ
 ԃ 𝜋 𝜋 ԃ
iv. 2 cos ( 2 + 4 ) = 2 sin ( 4 − 2 ) = √1 + ԃ − √1 − ԃ

Proof
𝜋
sin ( + ԃ) = ԃ
2

ԃ 𝜋
sin (2 ( + )) = ԃ
2 4

ԃ 𝜋 ԃ 𝜋
2 sin ( + ) cos ( + ) = ԃ
2 4 2 4

ԃ 𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
sin ( + ) cos ( + ) =
2 4 2 4 2

ԃ 𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ 2
sin2 ( + ) cos 2 ( + ) = ( )
2 4 2 4 2

𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ ԃ 2
(1 − cos 2 ( + )) cos 2 ( + ) = ( )
4 2 4 2 2

𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ ԃ 2
cos 4 ( + ) − cos 2 ( + ) + ( ) = 0
4 2 4 2 2

𝜋 ԃ ԃ 2 𝜋 ԃ
(− cos 2 ( + ) + ) − (1 − ԃ) cos 2 ( + ) = 0
4 2 2 4 2

𝜋 ԃ ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
−cos 2 ( + ) + = √1 − ԃ cos ( + )
4 2 2 4 2

𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ ԃ
cos 2 ( + ) + √1 − ԃ cos ( + ) − = 0
4 2 4 2 2

𝜋 ԃ −√1 − ԃ ± √1 + ԃ
cos ( + ) =
4 2 2
evaluating
𝜋 ԃ −√1 − ԃ + √1 + ԃ
cos ( + ) =
4 2 2
𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
v. 2 cos ( 4 − 2 ) = 2 sin ( 4 + 2 ) = √1 + ԃ + √1 − ԃ
Proof
𝜋
cos ( − ԃ) = sin(ԃ)
2

𝜋 ԃ
cos (2 ( − )) = sin(ԃ)
4 2

𝜋 ԃ
2 cos 2 ( − ) − 1 = √1 − ԃ2
4 2

𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
4 cos 4 ( − ) − 4 cos 2 ( − ) + 1 = 1 − ԃ2
4 2 4 2

𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
4 cos 4 ( − ) − 4 cos 2 ( − ) + ԃ2 = 0
4 2 4 2

2
𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
(−2 cos 2 ( − ) + ԃ) − (4 − 4ԃ) cos 2 ( − ) = 0
4 2 4 2
 2
𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
(−2 cos 2 ( − ) + ԃ) = (4 − 4ԃ) cos 2 ( − )
4 2 4 2

𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
−2 cos 2 ( − ) + ԃ = 2√1 − ԃ cos ( − )
4 2 4 2

𝜋 ԃ ԃ 𝜋 ԃ
− cos 2 ( − ) + = √1 − ԃ cos ( − )
4 2 2 4 2

𝜋 ԃ 𝜋 ԃ ԃ
cos 2 ( − ) − √1 − ԃ cos ( − ) − = 0
4 2 4 2 2

𝜋 ԃ √1 − ԃ ± √1 + ԃ
cos ( − ) =
4 2 2

evaluating
𝜋 ԃ √1 − ԃ + √1 + ԃ
cos ( − ) =
4 2 2

𝜋 ԃ 1 1+sin(ԃ)
vi. tan ( 4 + 2 ) = ԃ + tan(ԃ) = ԃ

vii.
∞
sin−1(ԃ) 22𝑛(𝑛!)2
=∑ (ԃ)2𝑛+1
sin(ԃ) (2𝑛 + 1)!
𝑛=0
Proof

ԃ
tan(sin−1(ԃ)) =
√1 − ԃ 2

ԃ
tan(sin−1(ԃ)) =
√1 − ԃ 2

ԃ
sin−1(ԃ) = tan−1 ( )
√1 − ԃ 2

2𝑛+1
ԃ
∞ 2𝑛 (𝑛!)2
( )
2 √1 − ԃ 2
sin−1 (ԃ) = ∑ 𝑛+1
(2𝑛 + 1)! ԃ2
𝑛=0 (1 + 2)
1−ԃ

2𝑛+1
ԃ
∞ ( )
22𝑛 (𝑛!)2 √1 − ԃ2
sin−1(ԃ) = ∑ 𝑛+1
(2𝑛 + 1)! 1
𝑛=0 ( )
1 − ԃ2
∞
22𝑛(𝑛!)2
sin−1 (ԃ) = ∑ (ԃ)2𝑛+1 (√1 − ԃ2 )
(2𝑛 + 1)!
𝑛=0

∞
22𝑛(𝑛!)2
sin−1 (ԃ) = sin(ԃ) ∑ (ԃ)2𝑛+1
(2𝑛 + 1)!
𝑛=0

∞
sin−1(ԃ) 22𝑛 (𝑛!)2
=∑ (ԃ)2𝑛+1
sin(ԃ) (2𝑛 + 1)!
𝑛=0
 5. What is the area of the unit circle?
Knowing that the area of the rectangular region in de figure is 2ԃ and
∞
𝜋 22𝑛(𝑛!)2
− ԃ = sin(ԃ) ∑ (ԃ)2𝑛+1
2 (2𝑛 + 1)!
𝑛=0

then
∞
(𝑛!)2
𝜋 = 2ԃ + sin(2ԃ) ∑ (2ԃ)2𝑛
(2𝑛 + 1)!
𝑛=0

Since the area of the unit circle is 𝜋, the above result is an expression of the area of the unit circle and the area of the circular segments
left by the rectangle is
∞
(𝑛!)2
𝐴𝑠 = sin(2ԃ) ∑ (2ԃ)2𝑛
(2𝑛 + 1)!
𝑛=0

REFERENCIAS

[1] Weisstein, Eric W. "Circular Segment." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web

Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CircularSegment.html

[2] Weisstein, Eric W. "Circle-Circle Intersection." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Circle-
CircleIntersection.html

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