CosDegrees[θ]
gives the cosine of
degrees.
CosDegrees
CosDegrees[θ]
gives the cosine of
degrees.
Details
- CosDegrees and other trigonometric functions are studied in high-school geometry courses and are also used in many scientific disciplines.
- The argument of CosDegrees is assumed to be in degrees.
- CosDegrees is automatically evaluated when its argument is a simple rational multiple of
; for more complicated rational multiples, FunctionExpand can sometimes be used. - CosDegrees of angle
is the ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse of a right triangle: - CosDegrees is related to SinDegrees by the Pythagorean identity
. - For certain special arguments, CosDegrees automatically evaluates to exact values.
- CosDegrees can be evaluated to arbitrary numerical precision.
- CosDegrees automatically threads over lists.
- CosDegrees can be used with Interval, CenteredInterval and Around objects.
- Mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (6)
The argument is given in degrees:
CosDegrees[60]Calculate CosDegrees of 45 degrees for a right triangle with unit sides:
Cos45deg = (1/Sqrt[1 + 1])Cos45deg == CosDegrees[45]Solve a trigonometric equation:
Solve[CosDegrees[x] == 1 / 2 && 0 < x < 90, x]Solve a trigonometric inequality:
Reduce[CosDegrees[x] > 1 / 2 && 0 <= x <= 360, x]Plot[CosDegrees[x], {x, -360, 360}]Series[CosDegrees[x], {x, 0, 7}]Scope (47)
Numerical Evaluation (6)
CosDegrees[11.2]N[CosDegrees[12 / 10], 50]The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:
CosDegrees[1.20000000000000000000000]CosDegrees can take complex number inputs:
CosDegrees[22.5 + I]Evaluate CosDegrees efficiently at high precision:
CosDegrees[12.2`500]//TimingCos[12.2`100000];//TimingCompute worst-case guaranteed intervals using Interval and CenteredInterval objects:
CosDegrees[Interval[{90, 60}]]CosDegrees[CenteredInterval[67, 1 / 100]]CosDegrees[CenteredInterval[10 + 31I, (1 + I) / 100]]Or compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:
CosDegrees[Around[40, 0.01]]Compute the elementwise values of an array:
CosDegrees[{{60, 180}, {30, -90}}]Or compute the matrix CosDegrees function using MatrixFunction:
MatrixFunction[CosDegrees[#]&, {{60, 180}, {30, -90}}]Specific Values (6)
Values of CosDegrees at fixed points:
CosDegrees[{0, 30, 45, 60, 90, 180}]CosDegrees has exact values at rational multiples of 30 degrees:
Table[CosDegrees[30 n], {n, 0, 6}]CosDegrees[Infinity]CosDegrees[ComplexInfinity]Simple exact values are generated automatically:
CosDegrees[180 / 5]More complicated cases require explicit use of FunctionExpand:
CosDegrees[180 / 24]FunctionExpand[%]Zeros of CosDegrees:
Assuming[m∈Integers, Refine[CosDegrees[180 ((1/2) + m)]]]Extrema of CosDegrees:
Assuming[m∈Integers, FullSimplify[Refine[CosDegrees[180 m]]]]Find a minimum of CosDegrees as the root of
in the minimum's neighborhood:
sol = Solve[D[CosDegrees[x], x] == 0 && 0 < x < 360, x]xmin = x /. First[sol]Plot[CosDegrees[x], {x, 0, 360}, Rule[...]]Visualization (4)
Plot the CosDegrees function:
Plot[CosDegrees[x], {x, -360, 360}]Plot over a subset of the complexes:
ComplexPlot3D[CosDegrees[z], {z, -360 - 100 I, 360 + 100 I}, Rule[...]]Plot the real part of CosDegrees:
ComplexContourPlot[Re[CosDegrees[z]], {z, -360 - (360/π) I, 360 + (360/π) I}, ...]Plot the imaginary part of CosDegrees:
ComplexContourPlot[Im[CosDegrees[z]], {z, -360 - (360/π) I, 360 + (360/π) I}, ...]Polar plot with CosDegrees:
Table[PolarPlot[CosDegrees[k ϕ * 180 / Pi], {ϕ, 0, 2π}, ...], {k, 1, 8}]Function Properties (13)
CosDegrees is a periodic function with a period of
degrees:
CosDegrees[30] == CosDegrees[30 + 360]Check this with FunctionPeriod:
FunctionPeriod[CosDegrees[x], x]CosDegrees is defined for all real and complex values:
FunctionDomain[CosDegrees[x], x]FunctionDomain[CosDegrees[z], z, Complexes]CosDegrees achieves all real values between
and
:
FunctionRange[CosDegrees[x], x, y]The range for complex values is the whole plane:
FunctionRange[CosDegrees[z], z, y, Complexes]CosDegrees is an even function:
CosDegrees[-x]CosDegrees has the mirror property
:
FullSimplify[CosDegrees[Conjugate[z]] == Conjugate[CosDegrees[z]]]CosDegrees is an analytic function of x:
FunctionAnalytic[CosDegrees[x], x]CosDegrees is monotonic in a specific range:
FunctionMonotonicity[CosDegrees[x], x]FunctionMonotonicity[{CosDegrees[x], -90 < x < 0}, x]CosDegrees is not injective:
FunctionInjective[CosDegrees[x], x]Plot[{CosDegrees[x], 1 / 2}, {x, -360, 360}]CosDegrees is not surjective:
FunctionSurjective[CosDegrees[x], x]Plot[{CosDegrees[x], 1.5}, {x, -360, 360}]CosDegrees is neither non-negative nor non-positive:
FunctionSign[CosDegrees[x], x]CosDegrees has no singularities or discontinuities:
FunctionSingularities[CosDegrees[x], x]FunctionDiscontinuities[CosDegrees[x], x]CosDegrees is neither convex nor concave:
FunctionConvexity[CosDegrees[x], x]It is concave for x in [-90,90]:
FunctionConvexity[{CosDegrees[x], -90 < x < 90}, x]Plot[CosDegrees[x], {x, -90, 90}]TraditionalForm formatting:
CosDegrees[α]//TraditionalFormDifferentiation (3)
Integration (3)
Compute the indefinite integral of CosDegrees via Integrate:
Integrate[CosDegrees[x], x]Definite integral of CosDegrees over a period is 0:
Integrate[CosDegrees[x], {x, 0, 360}]Integrate[CosDegrees[x]SinDegrees[x], x]Integrate[CosDegrees[x] ^ a, x]Series Expansions (3)
Find the Taylor expansion using Series:
Series[CosDegrees[x], {x, 0, 8}]Plot the first three approximations for CosDegrees around
:
terms = Normal@Table[Series[CosDegrees[x], {x, 0, m}], {m, 2, 6, 2}];
Plot[{CosDegrees[x], terms}, {x, -360, 360}, PlotRange -> {-1.5, 1.5}]FourierSeries[CosDegrees[z], z, 1]CosDegrees can be applied to power series:
CosDegrees[180 + x + (x^2/2) + (x^3/3) + O[x]^4]Function Identities and Simplifications (5)
Double-angle formula using TrigExpand:
TrigExpand[CosDegrees[2x]]TrigExpand[CosDegrees[x + y]]TrigExpand[CosDegrees[4x]]Recover the original expression using TrigReduce:
TrigReduce[%]Convert sums to products using TrigFactor:
TrigFactor[CosDegrees[x] + CosDegrees[y]]Convert to exponentials using TrigToExp:
TrigToExp[CosDegrees[z]]Function Representations (4)
Representation through SinDegrees:
SinDegrees[90 - x]1 - SinDegrees[x]^2//SimplifyRepresentations through SinDegrees, TanDegrees and CotDegrees:
Simplify[SinDegrees[x] / TanDegrees[x]]Simplify[SinDegrees[x]CotDegrees[x]]Representation through SecDegrees:
Simplify[1 / SecDegrees[x]]Applications (21)
Basic Trigonometric Applications (3)
Given
, find the CosDegrees of the angle
:
Solve[(5/9) + x^2 == 1, x]Find the missing adjacent side length of a right triangle with hypotenuse 5, given the angle is 30 degrees:
Solve[CosDegrees[30] == x / 5, x]ParametricPlot[{CosDegrees[t], SinDegrees[t]}, {t, 0, 360}]Trigonometric Identities (7)
Calculate the CosDegrees value of 105 degrees using the sum and difference formulas:
CosDegrees[α + β]//TrigExpand% /. {α -> 60, β -> 45}//SimplifyCompare with the result of direct calculation:
% == CosDegrees[105]Calculate the CosDegrees value of 15 degrees using the half-angle formula
:
(±Sqrt[(1 + CosDegrees[α]/2)] /. α -> 30)//Simplify%[[1]] == CosDegrees[15]//NCalculate the product of two CosDegrees using the trigonometric product to sum formula
:
((1/2)(CosDegrees[α + β] + CosDegrees[α - β]) /. {α -> 30, β -> 45})//SimplifyCompare this result with directly calculated product of two CosDegrees instances:
% == CosDegrees[30]CosDegrees[45]Simplify trigonometric expressions:
Simplify[(SinDegrees[x]/1 + CosDegrees[x]) + (1 + CosDegrees[x]/SinDegrees[x])]Simplify[(SinDegrees[x]CosDegrees[x]/TanDegrees[x]) - 1]Verify trigonometric identities:
Simplify[CosDegrees[2x]^2 - (1 - 2CosDegrees[x]^2)^2 == 0]Use the law of cosines to find the length of the side
of the following triangle if the angle
and the lengths of two other sides are
,
:
This could be calculated via the formula
:
BClength = Sqrt[7 ^ 2 + 12 ^ 2 - 2 * 7 * 12 * CosDegrees[30]]BClength//NCalculate the base length of an isosceles triangle, given the leg length
and the base angles
:
base = 2a CosDegrees[α] /. {a -> 2, α -> 30}Get the numerical value of the base:
%//NTrigonometric Equations (2)
Solve a basic trigonometric equation:
Solve[CosDegrees[5x] == 1 / 2, x]Solve trigonometric equations including other trigonometric functions:
Solve[CosDegrees[5x] == SinDegrees[x], x]//FullSimplifySolve trigonometric equations with conditions:
Reduce[3CosDegrees[x] + 2Sqrt[2SinDegrees[x]] == 9 / 2 && 0 < x < 90, x]Trigonometric Inequalities (2)
Advanced Applications (7)
ParametricPlot[{CosDegrees[2t], CosDegrees[5t]}, {t, 0, 360}]Equiangular (logarithmic) spiral:
ParametricPlot[Exp[t / 10 * π / 180]{CosDegrees[t], SinDegrees[t]}, {t, 0, 5 * 360}, PlotRange -> All]ParametricPlot3D[{CosDegrees[ϕ] SinDegrees[θ], SinDegrees[θ] SinDegrees[ϕ], CosDegrees[θ]}, {ϕ, -180, 180}, {θ, 0, 180}]ParametricPlot3D[{CosDegrees[ϕ] + 1 / 2 CosDegrees[θ] CosDegrees[ϕ], SinDegrees[ϕ] + 1 / 2 CosDegrees[θ] SinDegrees[ϕ], SinDegrees[θ] / 2}, {ϕ, -180, 180}, {θ, 0, 360}]Plot3D[CosDegrees[x]CosDegrees[y], {x, 0, 720}, {y, 0, 720}]Approximate the almost nowhere differentiable Riemann–Weierstrass function:
Plot[Sum[N[CosDegrees[j ^ 2 x] / j ^ 2], {j, 12}], {x, 0, 360}]Find a point in the circle using CosDegrees and SinDegrees functions:
ContourPlot[x ^ 2 + y ^ 2 == 1, {x, -1.5, 1.5}, {y, -1.5, 1.5}, ...]Properties & Relations (11)
Check that 1 degree is
radians:
CosDegrees[60] == Cos[π / 3]Basic parity and periodicity properties are automatically applied:
CosDegrees[x + 360]CosDegrees[-x]CosDegrees[I x]1 / CosDegrees[x]//SimplifyComplicated expressions containing trigonometric functions do not simplify automatically:
CosDegrees[3z]^2 - (CosDegrees[z]^3 - 3 CosDegrees[z] SinDegrees[z]^2)^2Simplify[%]CosDegrees[(x + y/2)]CosDegrees[(x - y/2)] + ((1/2) CosDegrees[(x/2)]^2 + (1/2) CosDegrees[(y/2)]^2 - (1/2) SinDegrees[(x/2)]^2 - (1/2) SinDegrees[(y/2)]^2)FullSimplify[%]Use FunctionExpand to express CosDegrees in terms of radicals:
{CosDegrees[180 / 8], CosDegrees[180 / 12], CosDegrees[180 / 15]}FunctionExpand[%]Compositions with the inverse trigonometric functions:
{CosDegrees[ArcCosDegrees[z]], CosDegrees[2ArcCosDegrees[z]], CosDegrees[3ArcCosDegrees[z]]}FunctionExpand[%]Solve a trigonometric equation:
Reduce[CosDegrees[z]^2 + 3 CosDegrees[z + 30] == 4, z]Numerically find a root of a transcendental equation:
FindRoot[CosDegrees[z]^2 - 13 CosDegrees[z + 30] + z == 4, {z, 0, 15}]Plot the function to check if the solution is correct:
Plot[CosDegrees[z]^2 - 13 CosDegrees[z + 30] + z - 4, {z, 0, 15}]The zeros of CosDegrees:
Reduce[CosDegrees[α x + β] == 0, x]FunctionExpand applied to CosDegrees generates expressions in trigonometric functions in radians:
FunctionExpand[CosDegrees[x]]FunctionExpand[CosDegrees[x ^ 2]CosDegrees[120 - x / 2]]ExpToTrig applied to the outputs of TrigToExp will generate trigonometric functions in radians:
TrigToExp[CosDegrees[z]]ExpToTrig[%]TrigToExp[CosDegrees[2z]CosDegrees[z]];
ExpToTrig[%]CosDegrees is a numeric function:
NumericQ[CosDegrees[2 + E]]Possible Issues (1)
Neat Examples (5)
Trigonometric functions are ratios that relate the angle measures of a right triangle to the length of its sides:
Trigfunclist = {SinDegrees[θ], CosDegrees[θ], TanDegrees[θ], CotDegrees[θ], SecDegrees[θ], CscDegrees[θ]};
ratioslist = {a / c, b / c, a / b, b / a, c / b, c / a};Grid[...]//TraditionalFormSolve a trigonometric equation:
Solve[CosDegrees[x] == SinDegrees[2x], x]//SimplifyAdd some condition on the solution:
Reduce[CosDegrees[x] == SinDegrees[2x] && 0 < x < 45, x]Some arguments can be expressed as a finite sequence of nested radicals:
CosDegrees[(180/2^12)]//FunctionExpandIntegrate[CosDegrees[x ^ n], x]Non-commensurate waves (quasiperiodic function):
Plot[CosDegrees[x] + CosDegrees[Sqrt[2]x], {x, 0, 20 * 360}]See Also
SinDegrees TanDegrees CotDegrees SecDegrees ArcCosDegrees Cos
Tech Notes
Related Guides
History
Text
Wolfram Research (2024), CosDegrees, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CosDegrees.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2024. "CosDegrees." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CosDegrees.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2024). CosDegrees. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CosDegrees.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_cosdegrees, author="Wolfram Research", title="{CosDegrees}", year="2024", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CosDegrees.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_cosdegrees, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={CosDegrees}, year={2024}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CosDegrees.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}