Hyperbolic function Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-14
Hyperbolic functions combine the exponential function to describe a hyperbola much as trigonometric functions describe a circle. Their two basic members are the hyperbolic cosine and hyperbolic sine, defined for every real number byTheir derivatives exchange the two functions:These formulas follow by applying differentiation to the exponential function definitions. [ref]
https://openstax.org/books/calculus-volume-2/pages/2-9-calculus-of-the-hyperbolic-functions. Gilbert Strang and Edwin Herman, OpenStax Calculus Volume 2, §2.9: hyperbolic definitions and derivatives
Adding and subtracting gives and . Multiplying these equalities proves the hyperbolic Pythagorean identity:Consequently the parametric equation traverses the entire right branch of the unit hyperbola , where . For example, gives , while gives approximately . Compare on the unit circle, where the squared coordinates add to one. The minus sign changes the geometry from a closed circle to an unbounded hyperbola.
The other members are ratios and reciprocals: hyperbolic tangent is , hyperbolic cotangent is , and hyperbolic secant is ; denominators must be nonzero. The hyperbolic sine and hyperbolic cosine both solve the second-order linear differential equation . In fact has and , making this basis convenient for an initial value problem. Their geometry also makes hyperbolic substitution useful for integrals containing , and the hyperbolic cosine gives the physical catenary of a hanging chain.
Inverse hyperbolic sine 2026-10-25
The real inverse of the hyperbolic sine is defined on all real numbers and has derivative . It appears in arc length and in integrals involving square roots of sums of squares, where a hyperbolic substitution can simplify the expression.
Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford 2018 4 Solution 2026-10-25
For , increases from , while decreases from . They meet at , after which their order reverses. In particular, their positive separation on is .
Use the hyperbolic substitution , . With , the definite integral for the area becomesSince , and , the answer is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 310 1 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For the open matter-dominated Friedmann solution, write , so . The present Friedmann equation gives . With and , the expanding equation becomesChoose the hyperbolic substitutionThen and . Their product givesTake the Big Bang to be , , and integrate. The parametric solution isThe parameter is determined explicitly byThus is conformal time multiplied by , with its origin at the Big Bang; it is not equal to unscaled cosmic time. In particular today . Small gives and , hence . Large gives , in agreement with the curvature-dominated universe limit.
For the graph of a differentiable function, the arc length is . Since ,Use the hyperbolic substitution : then and . The hyperbolic functions yieldsHere is the inverse hyperbolic sine.

