Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2008/ia/paper-1/1b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 ia Paper 1 1B Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
De Moivre's theorem says that, for a real angle and an integer ,For a complex number , the corresponding formula is , with required for negative powers.
Put . If , the finite geometric series givesTo extract the real part, multiply numerator and denominator by . The denominator becomes , and the numerator is . Thus this finite trigonometric sum isAt , the sum equals ; the printed quotient is undefined there, though its continuous limiting value is .
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