Trigonometric Series Ratio
For $ \pi\leq\theta<2\pi $, let
\[ P=\dfrac12\cos\theta-\dfrac14\sin2\theta-\dfrac18\cos3\theta+\dfrac1{16}\sin4\theta+\dfrac1{32}\cos5\theta-\dfrac1{64}\sin6\theta-\dfrac1{128}\cos7\theta+\dotsb
\]and \[ Q=1-\dfrac12\sin\theta-\dfrac14\cos2\theta+\dfrac1{8}\sin3\theta+\dfrac1{16}\cos4\theta-\dfrac1{32}\sin5\theta-\dfrac1{64}\cos6\theta+\dfrac1{128}\sin7\theta
+\dotsb\]so that $ \frac PQ = \frac{2\sqrt2}7 $. Find $ \sin\theta $.
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- -
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- $\frac{a}{b}$
- .
- 0
- =
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- $a^n$
- $a^{\circ}$
- $a_n$
- $\sqrt{}$
- $\sqrt[n]{}$
- $\pi$
- $\ln{}$
- $\log$
- $\theta$
- $\sin{}$
- $\cos{}$
- $\tan{}$
- $($
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- $\cap$
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- $\infty$
Solution
Note that
\begin{align*}
P - Qi &= -i + \frac{1}{2} (\cos \theta + i \sin \theta) + \frac{1}{4} (-\sin 2 \theta + i \cos 2 \theta) + \frac{1}{8} (-\cos 3 \theta - i \sin 3 \theta) + \dotsb \\
&= -i + \frac{1}{2} (\cos \theta + i \sin \theta) + \frac{i}{2^2} (\cos \theta + i \sin \theta)^2 + \frac{i^2}{2^3} (\cos \theta + i \sin \theta)^3 + \dotsb \\
\end{align*}Let $ z = \cos \theta + i \sin \theta $. Then the sum above is an infinite geometric sum:
\begin{align*}
-i + \frac{z}{2} + \frac{iz^2}{2^2} + \frac{i^2 \cdot z^3}{2^3} + \dotsb &= \frac{-i}{1 - iz/2} \\
&= \frac{-2i}{2 - iz} \\
&= \frac{-2i}{2 - i (\cos \theta + i \sin \theta)} \\
&= \frac{-2i}{2 + \sin \theta - i \cos \theta} \\
&= \frac{-2i (2 + \sin \theta + i \cos \theta)}{(2 + \sin \theta)^2 + \cos^2 \theta}
\end{align*}Matching real and imaginary parts, we get
\begin{align*}
P &= \frac{2 \cos \theta}{(2 + \sin \theta)^2 + \cos^2 \theta} \\
Q &= \frac{4 + 2 \sin \theta}{(2 + \sin \theta)^2 + \cos^2 \theta}
\end{align*}Then from the equation $ \frac{P}{Q} = \frac{2 \sqrt{2}}{7}, $
\[\frac{\cos \theta}{2 + \sin \theta} = \frac{2 \sqrt{2}}{7}.\]Then $ 7 \cos \theta = 2 \sqrt{2} (2 + \sin \theta) $. Squaring both sides, we get
\[49 \cos^2 \theta = 8 (2 + \sin \theta)^2,\]or $ 49 (1 - \sin^2 \theta) = 8 (2 + \sin \theta)^2 $. This simplifies to
\[57 \sin^2 \theta + 32 \sin \theta - 17 = 0,\]which factors as $ (3 \sin \theta - 1)(19 \sin \theta + 17) = 0 $. Since $ \pi \le \theta < 2 \pi, $ $ \sin \theta $ is negative, so $ \sin \theta = \boxed{-\frac{17}{19}} $.