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'Making Waves' printed from https://nrich.maths.org/

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  • Sketch the graph of $y=\sin(\cos x)$, where $x$ is in radians.
    Here are some things to consider when sketching your graph:
    It might help to start by sketching $y=\cos x$. What are the maximum and minimum values of $\cos x$?

    Where does the graph cross the $y$ axis? (You don't have to find a numerical value!)

    Can the graph cross the $x$ axis? If so, where?

    Is the function even, odd or neither? A function is even if $f(-x)=f(x)$ and it is odd if $f(-x) = -f(x)$. An even function has reflection symmetry over the $y$ axis and an odd function has rotational symmetry about the origin.

    The functions $\sin x$ and $\cos x$ are periodic with period $2 \pi$. What about $\sin(\cos x)$?
  • Sketch the graph of $y=\cos(\sin x)$.
     
  • Show that $\cos(\sin x) > \sin(\cos x)$ when $x=0, \pi$ and $\frac{\pi} 2$. 
    Can you also show that this is true when $x=\frac{\pi} 4$?
     
  • Show that  $\cos(\sin x) > \sin(\cos x)$ for all values of $x$.

Some possible methods for this last part are discussed in the Getting Started Section.