Study plane rotations with the Symbolic Math Toolbox

Create a symbolic variable named t.

t = sym('t')
 
t =
 
t
 
 

Create a 2-by-2 matrix representing a plane rotation through an angle t.

G = [ cos(t) sin(t); -sin(t) cos(t)]
 
G =
 
[  cos(t),  sin(t)]
[ -sin(t),  cos(t)]
 
 

Compute the matrix product of G with itself.

G*G
 
ans =
 
[ cos(t)^2-sin(t)^2,   2*cos(t)*sin(t)]
[  -2*cos(t)*sin(t), cos(t)^2-sin(t)^2]
 
 

This should represent a rotation through an angle of 2*t. Simplification using trigonometric identities is necessary.

ans = simple(ans)
 
ans =
 
[  cos(2*t),  sin(2*t)]
[ -sin(2*t),  cos(2*t)]
 
 

G is an orthogonal matrix; its tranpose is its inverse.

G.'*G

ans = simple(ans)
 
ans =
 
[ cos(t)^2+sin(t)^2,                 0]
[                 0, cos(t)^2+sin(t)^2]
 
 
 
ans =
 
[ 1, 0]
[ 0, 1]
 
 

What are the eigenvalues of G?

e = eig(G)
 
e =
 
 cos(t)+(-1+cos(t)^2)^(1/2)
 cos(t)-(-1+cos(t)^2)^(1/2)
 
 

Repeatedly apply the simplification rules.

e, for k = 1:4, e = simple(e), end
 
e =
 
 cos(t)+(-1+cos(t)^2)^(1/2)
 cos(t)-(-1+cos(t)^2)^(1/2)
 
 
 
e =
 
 cos(t)+(-sin(t)^2)^(1/2)
 cos(t)-(-sin(t)^2)^(1/2)
 
 
 
e =
 
 cos(t)+i*sin(t)
 cos(t)-i*sin(t)
 
 
 
e =
 
   exp(i*t)
 1/exp(i*t)
 
 
 
e =
 
  exp(i*t)
 exp(-i*t)