QUESTION IMAGE
Question
show analytically that if (m) is a line through the origin with inclination angle (phi) from the positive (x)-axis and if (n) is a line through the origin with inclination angle (\theta) from the positive (x)-axis, then (r_n r_m) is a rotation about the origin by angle (2(\theta - phi)).
⚡ Using what you learned: Compositions of Transformations
Step 1: Define the reflection matrices
A reflection across a line through the origin with inclination angle \(\alpha\) is represented by the transformation matrix:
For the line \(m\) with inclination angle \(\phi\), the reflection matrix \(r_m\) is:
For the line \(n\) with inclination angle \(\theta\), the reflection matrix \(r_n\) is:
Step 2: Compute the composition \(r_n r_m\)
The composition \(r_n r_m\) corresponds to the matrix multiplication \(r_n \cdot r_m\):
Multiplying the matrices yields:
Step 3: Simplify using trigonometric identities
Apply the angle difference identities:
- \(\cos(A - B) = \cos A \cos B + \sin A \sin B\)
- \(\sin(A - B) = \sin A \cos B - \cos A \sin B\)
Substituting \(A = 2\theta\) and \(B = 2\phi\):
- Entry \((1,1)\): \(\cos(2\theta)\cos(2\phi) + \sin(2\theta)\sin(2\phi) = \cos(2\theta - 2\phi)\)
- Entry \((1,2)\): \(\cos(2\theta)\sin(2\phi) - \sin(2\theta)\cos(2\phi) = -\sin(2\theta - 2\phi)\)
- Entry \((2,1)\): \(\sin(2\theta)\cos(2\phi) - \cos(2\theta)\sin(2\phi) = \sin(2\theta - 2\phi)\)
- Entry \((2,2)\): \(\sin(2\theta)\sin(2\phi) + \cos(2\theta)\cos(2\phi) = \cos(2\theta - 2\phi)\)
This gives:
This matrix matches the standard rotation matrix \(R_{\psi}\) by an angle \(\psi = 2(\theta - \phi)\) about the origin:
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By representing the reflections \(r_m\) and \(r_n\) as matrices:
their composition \(r_n r_m\) is computed via matrix multiplication:
Applying the trigonometric angle difference identities simplifies this to:
which is the matrix representing a rotation about the origin by the angle \(2(\theta - \phi)\).