Trigonometric equations



%solve(sin(x)-sqrt(3)*cos(x)=0,x);
%union([x=2*%pi*%z6-(2*%pi)/3],[x=-(-4*%pi*%z8-(2*%pi)/3)/2])

> There are the general solutions but maybe always not in the best form.

This is a fairly common complaint about the to_poly_solver. Maybe you would like to write a post processor to change to a form you like.

> Is the to_poly_solver %solve the best way to solve trigonometric equations in Maxima?

Oh, likely so, but if you don't like the complicated solutions it sometimes returns, maybe it isn't.

> What about the solving strategies of the trigonometric equations?

The to_poly_solver tries to convert to an equation to a polynomial form. This code does not use anything that I would consider to 
be a strategy. There is another solver in Maxima (load(solver) that uses more strategy. The user documentation is in German--my
German reading knowledge isn't what is used to be--I don't know all that much about this code.

>Is it any documentation about solving trigonometric equations in Maxima available?

There is user documentation: enter either ? to_poly_solve;  or  ? solve.  See also http://www.unk.edu/uploadedFiles/facstaff/profiles/willisb/solve-talk%283%29.pdf


--Barton  (author of to_poly_solve)