In \(\triangle A B C\), if \(a, b\) and \(c\) are in arithmetic progression, then \(\cos A+2 \cos B+\cos C=\)

In \(\triangle A B C\), if \(a, b\) and \(c\) are in arithmetic progression, then \(\cos A+2 \cos B+\cos C=\)
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. \(\frac{3}{2}\)
  4. \(\sqrt{3}+1\)

Solution

It is given, that in \(\triangle A B C, a, b, c\) are in \(\mathrm{AP}\) So, \(2 b=a+c\)...(i) Now, \(\cos A+2 \cos B+2 \cos C\) \(\begin{aligned} = & \frac{b^2+c^2-a^2}{2 b c}+2 \frac{a^2+c^2-b^2}{2 a c}+\frac{a^2+b^2-c^2}{2 a b} \\ = & \frac{a b^2+a c^2-a^3+2 a^2 b+2 c^2 b-2 b^3+a^2 c+b^2 c-c^3}{2 a b c} \\ = & \frac{a b^2+a c^2-a^3+2 b\left(a^2+c^2\right)-2 b^3+a^2 c+b^2 c-c^3}{2 a b c} \\ = & \frac{-2 b^2+a c^2-a^3+(a+c)\left(a^2+c^2\right)}{2 a b c} \\ = & \frac{-2 b^2 c-c^3+a^2 c+b^2 c-c^3}{2 a b c} \\ = & \frac{a b^2+2 a c^2+2 c a^2+b^2 c-2 b^3}{2 a b c} \\ = & \frac{b^2(a+c)+2 a c(a+c)-2 b^3}{2 a b c} \\ = & \frac{b^2(2 b)+2 a c(2 b)-2 b^3}{2 a b c}=2 \end{aligned}\)

Asked in: AP EAMCET 2019 (22 Apr Shift 1)

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