To tackle your questions, let's break them down one at a time, starting with the range of the function \( \text{sgn}[\ln(x^2 - x + 1)] \) and then moving on to the number of solutions for the equation \( \cos^{-1}(1-x) - 2 \cos^{-1}(x) = \frac{\pi}{2} \).
Analyzing the Range of the Function
The function in question is \( \text{sgn}[\ln(x^2 - x + 1)] \). The sign function, \( \text{sgn}(y) \), returns -1 if \( y < 0 \), 0 if \( y = 0 \), and 1 if \( y > 0 \). Therefore, we need to determine when \( \ln(x^2 - x + 1) \) is negative, zero, or positive.
Step 1: Understanding the Argument of the Logarithm
First, let's analyze the expression inside the logarithm: \( x^2 - x + 1 \). This is a quadratic function, and we can find its minimum value to understand its behavior.
- The vertex of the quadratic \( ax^2 + bx + c \) occurs at \( x = -\frac{b}{2a} \). Here, \( a = 1 \) and \( b = -1 \), so:
- Vertex: \( x = \frac{1}{2} \)
- Substituting \( x = \frac{1}{2} \) into \( x^2 - x + 1 \):
- \( \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^2 - \frac{1}{2} + 1 = \frac{1}{4} - \frac{2}{4} + \frac{4}{4} = \frac{3}{4} \)
Since \( x^2 - x + 1 \) is always positive (its minimum value is \( \frac{3}{4} \)), the logarithm \( \ln(x^2 - x + 1) \) is always defined and positive. Thus, \( \ln(x^2 - x + 1) > 0 \) for all \( x \).
Step 2: Determining the Range
Since \( \ln(x^2 - x + 1) > 0 \) for all \( x \), it follows that:
- \( \text{sgn}[\ln(x^2 - x + 1)] = 1 \) for all \( x \).
Therefore, the range of the function \( \text{sgn}[\ln(x^2 - x + 1)] \) is simply {1}.
Finding the Number of Solutions
Now, let's analyze the equation \( \cos^{-1}(1-x) - 2 \cos^{-1}(x) = \frac{\pi}{2} \).
Step 1: Rearranging the Equation
We can rearrange the equation to isolate one of the inverse cosine terms:
- \( \cos^{-1}(1-x) = \frac{\pi}{2} + 2 \cos^{-1}(x) \)
Step 2: Using Properties of Inverse Cosine
Recall that \( \cos^{-1}(y) \) is defined for \( y \) in the range [-1, 1]. Therefore, we need to ensure that both \( 1-x \) and \( x \) fall within this range:
- For \( 1-x \): \( -1 \leq 1-x \leq 1 \) implies \( 0 \leq x \leq 2 \).
- For \( x \): \( -1 \leq x \leq 1 \).
Combining these conditions, we find that \( 0 \leq x \leq 1 \) is the valid range for \( x \).
Step 3: Analyzing the Equation Further
Next, we can simplify the equation using the cosine function:
- Taking the cosine of both sides gives us:
- \( 1-x = \cos\left(\frac{\pi}{2} + 2 \cos^{-1}(x)\right) \)
- Using the cosine addition formula, we find:
- \( \cos\left(\frac{\pi}{2} + \theta\right) = -\sin(\theta) \), where \( \theta = 2 \cos^{-1}(x) \).
This leads to:
- \( 1-x = -\sin(2 \cos^{-1}(x)) \)
- Using the double angle identity, \( \sin(2\theta) = 2\sin(\theta)\cos(\theta) \), we have:
- \( 1-x = -2x\sqrt{1-x^2} \)
Step 4: Finding Solutions
This equation can be solved graphically or numerically. However, we can also analyze it for specific values of \( x \) within the range [0, 1]. By substituting values or using numerical methods, we can find that there are two solutions to this equation in the specified range.
In summary, the range of the function \( \text{sgn}[\ln(x^2 - x + 1)] \) is {1}, and the number of solutions to the equation \( \cos^{-1}(1-x) - 2 \cos^{-1}(x) = \frac{\pi}{2} \) is 2.