Knowledge Base

Solution 11870: Using Solve( with Trigonometric Functions Returns Unexpected Results on the TI-89 Family, TI-92 Family, and Voyage™ 200 Graphing Calculators.

Why does solve(sin(x)=0,x) return x=@n1*p on the TI-89 family, TI-92 family, and Voyage 200 graphing calculators?

This equation has an infinite number of points where sin(x)=0.

For example, sin(p)=0, sin(2p)=0, sin(3p)=0 and so on...

The TI-89 family, TI-92 family, and Voyage 200 are showing that this equation has an infinite set of solutions by displaying @n1*p. The integer suffix of "@n" increases for successive problems, then wraps back to 1 after 255. "@n" is the units representation of an "arbitrary integer."