Question

Prove that: (b²-c²/a)CosA+(c²-a²/b)CosB+(a²-b²/c)CosC = 0​

Answer 1

Prove that:

$\:\:\sf\:\:\left(\dfrac{b^2-c^2}{a}\right)\cos A+\left(\dfrac{c^2-a^2}{b}\right)\cos B +\left(\dfrac{a^2-b^2}{c}\right)\cos C=0$

Proof:

We know that, by Law of Cosines,

• $\sf \cos A=\dfrac{b^2+c^2-a^2}{2bc}$
• $\sf \cos B=\dfrac{c^2+a^2-b^2}{2ca}$
• $\sf \cos C=\dfrac{a^2+b^2-c^2}{2ab}$

Taking LHS

$\left(\dfrac{b^2-c^2}{a}\right)\cos A+\left(\dfrac{c^2-a^2}{b}\right)\cos B +\left(\dfrac{a^2-b^2}{c}\right)\cos C$

Substituting the value of cos A, cos B and cos C,

$\longmapsto\left(\dfrac{b^2-c^2}{a}\right)\left(\dfrac{b^2+c^2-a^2}{2bc}\right)+\left(\dfrac{c^2-a^2}{b}\right)\left(\dfrac{c^2+a^2-b^2}{2ca}\right)+\left(\dfrac{a^2-b^2}{c}\right)\left(\dfrac{a^2+b^2-c^2}{2ab}\right)$

$\longmapsto\left(\dfrac{(b^2-c^2)(b^2+c^2-a^2)}{2abc}\right)+\left(\dfrac{(c^2-a^2)(c^2+a^2-b^2)}{2abc}\right)+\left(\dfrac{(a^2-b^2)(a^2+b^2-c^2)}{2abc}\right)$

$\longmapsto\left(\dfrac{(b^2-c^2)(b^2+c^2)-(b^2-c^2)(a^2)}{2abc}\right)+\left(\dfrac{(c^2-a^2)(c^2+a^2)-(c^2-a^2)(b^2)}{2abc}\right)+\left(\dfrac{(a^2-b^2)(a^2+b^2)-(a^2-b^2)(c^2)}{2abc}\right)$

$\longmapsto\left(\dfrac{(b^4-c^4)-(a^2b^2-a^2c^2)}{2abc}\right)+\left(\dfrac{(c^4-a^4)-(b^2c^2-a^2b^2)}{2abc}\right)+\left(\dfrac{(a^4-b^4)-(a^2c^2-b^2c^2)}{2abc}\right)$

$\longmapsto\dfrac{b^4-c^4-a^2b^2+a^2c^2}{2abc}+\dfrac{c^4-a^4-b^2c^2+a^2b^2}{2abc}+\dfrac{a^4-b^4-a^2c^2+b^2c^2}{2abc}$

On combining the fractions,

$\longmapsto\dfrac{(b^4-c^4-a^2b^2+a^2c^2)+(c^4-a^4-b^2c^2+a^2b^2)+(a^4-b^4-a^2c^2+b^2c^2)}{2abc}$

$\longmapsto\dfrac{b^4-c^4-a^2b^2+a^2c^2+c^4-a^4-b^2c^2+a^2b^2+a^4-b^4-a^2c^2+b^2c^2}{2abc}$

Regrouping the terms,

$\longmapsto\dfrac{(a^4-a^4)+(b^4-b^4)+(c^4-c^4)+(a^2b^2-a^2b^2)+(b^2c^2-b^2c^2)+(a^2c^2-a^2c^2)}{2abc}$

$\longmapsto\dfrac{(0)+(0)+(0)+(0)+(0)+(0)}{2abc}$

$\longmapsto\dfrac{0}{2abc}$

$\longmapsto\bf 0=RHS$

LHS = RHS proved.