Hyperbolic Functions

Another question arises if we are familiar with the HYPERBOLIC FUNCTIONS

\begin{displaymath}\hbox{\fbox{ ${\displaystyle
\cosh x \; \equiv \; {1\over2} \left( e^x \; + \; e^{-x} \right)
}$ } }
\end{displaymath}


\begin{displaymath}\hbox{\fbox{ ${\displaystyle
\sinh x \; \equiv \; {1\over2} \left( e^x \; - \; e^{-x} \right)
}$ } }
\end{displaymath}

These are so similar to the definitions of the $\sin$ and $\cos$ in terms of complex exponentials that we suspect a connection between $\cosh$ and $\cos$ that is deeper than just the fact that the names are so similar (which should of course have made us suspicious in the first place). I will leave it as a (trivial) exercise for the reader to show that
${\displaystyle
\cos \theta = \cosh(i\theta)
\qquad \qquad
i \sin \theta = \sinh(i\theta)
}$
 
${\displaystyle
\cosh x = \cos(ix)
\qquad \qquad
i \sinh x = \sin(ix)
}$.



Jess H. Brewer - Last modified: Sun Nov 15 14:00:22 PST 2015