Cotangent -- From Wolfram MathWorld

Cot CotReIm CotContours

The cotangent function cotz is the function defined by

cotz=1/(tanz) (1)
=(i(e^(iz)+e^(-iz)))/(e^(iz)-e^(-iz)) (2)
=(i(e^(2iz)+1))/(e^(2iz)-1), (3)

where tanz is the tangent. The cotangent is implemented in the Wolfram Language as Cot[z].

The notations ctnz (Erdélyi et al. 1981, p. 7; Jeffrey 2000, p. 111) and ctgz (Gradshteyn and Ryzhik 2000, p. xxix) are sometimes used in place of cotz. Note that the cotangent is not in as widespread use in Europe as are sinz, cosz, and tanz, although it does appear explicitly in various German and Russian handbooks (e.g., Gradshteyn and 2000, p. 28). Interestingly, cotz is treated on par with the other trigonometric functions in most tabulations (Gellert et al. 1989, p. 222; Gradshteyn and Ryzhik 2000, p. 28), while secz and cscz are sometimes not (Gradshteyn and Ryzhik 2000, p. 28).

An important identity connecting the cotangent with the cosecant is given by

 1+cot^2theta=csc^2theta. (4)

The cotangent has smallest real fixed point x such cotx=x at 0.8603335890... (OEIS A069855; Bertrand 1865, p. 285).

The derivative is given by

 d/(dz)cotz=-csc^2z (5)

and the indefinite integral by

 intcotzdz=ln(sinz)+C, (6)

where C is a constant of integration.

Definite integrals include

int_(pi/4)^(pi/2)cotxdx=1/2ln2 (7)
int_0^(pi/4)ln(cotx)dx=K (8)
int_0^(pi/4)xcotxdx=1/8(piln2+4K) (9)
int_0^(pi/2)xcotxdx=1/2piln2 (10)
int_(pi/4)^(pi/2)xcotxdx=1/8(3piln2-4K) (11)
int_0^(pi/4)x^2cotxdx=1/(64)[16piK+2pi^2ln2-34zeta(3)] (12)
int_0^(pi/2)x^2cotxdx=1/8[2pi^2ln2-7zeta(3)], (13)

where K is Catalan's constant, ln2 is the natural logarithm of 2, and zeta(3) is Apéry's constant. Integrals (9) and (10) were considered by Glaisher (1893). Additional integrals include

 int_0^(pi/4)cot^nxdx=1/4[psi_0(1/4(3-n))-psi_0(1/4(1-n))] (14)

for R[n]<1, where psi_0(z) is the digamma function, and

 int_0^(pi/2)cot^nxdx=1/2pisec[1/2(pin)] (15)

for -1<R[n]<1.

The Laurent series for cotz about the origin is

cotz=1/z-1/3z-1/(45)z^3-2/(945)z^5-1/(4725)z^7-... (16)
=sum_(n=0)^(infty)((-1)^n2^(2n)B_(2n))/((2n)!)z^(2n-1) (17)

(OEIS A002431 and A036278), where B_n is a Bernoulli number.

A nice sum identity for the cotangent is given by

 picot(piz)=1/z+2zsum_(n=1)^infty1/(z^2-n^2). (18)

For an integer n>=3, cot(pi/n) is rational only for n=4. In particular, the algebraic degrees of cot(pi/n) for n=2, 3, ... are 1, 2, 1, 4, 2, 6, 2, 6, 4, 10, 2, ... (OEIS A089929).

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