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What is the difference between secant and cosine?

secant | cosine |

In trigonometry terms the difference between secant and cosine

is that secant is in a right triangle, the reciprocal of the cosine of an angle. Symbol: sec while cosine is in a right triangle, the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to an acute angle to the length of the hypotenuse. Symbol: cos.

As nouns the difference between secant and cosine

is that secant is a straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points while cosine is in a right triangle, the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to an acute angle to the length of the hypotenuse. Symbol: cos.

secant

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (geometry) A straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points.
  • (trigonometry) In a right triangle, the reciprocal of the cosine of an angle. Symbol: sec

    • Related terms

    * cosecant * section * sector

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

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    cosine

    English

    (wikipedia cosine)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (trigonometry) In a right triangle, the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to an acute angle to the length of the hypotenuse. Symbol: cos

    • Usage notes

    In various branches of mathematics, the cosine of an angle is determined in various ways, including the following: * The x''-coordinate]] of the point on the unit circle at the given anticlockwise angle from the [[x-axis, ''x -axis. * The sum of the real or complex power series

         \sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{(-1)^n x^{2n}}{(2n)!} = 1 - {x^2 \over 2} + {x^4 \over 24} - {x^6 \over 720} + {x^8 \over 40320} - \cdots

    where x is in radians.

    Related terms

    * arccosine * sine

    See also

    * power series * secant * tangent * trigonometry

    Anagrams

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