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For any ΔABC, show that b (c cos A – a cos C) = c2 – a2

So, considering LHS:

\[b\text{ }\left( c\text{ }cos\text{ }A\text{ }\text{ }a\text{ }cos\text{ }C \right)\]

\[bc\text{ }cos\text{ }A\text{ }and\text{ }ab\text{ }cos\text{ }C\]are L.H.S, which can be obtained from cosine formulae.

Using cosine formula:

\[Cos\text{ }A\text{ }=\text{ }({{b}^{2}}~+\text{ }{{c}^{2}}~\text{ }{{a}^{2}})/2bc\]

\[bc\text{ }cos\text{ }A\text{ }=\text{ }({{b}^{2}}~+\text{ }{{c}^{2}}~\text{ }{{a}^{2}})/2\text{ }\ldots \text{ }\left( i \right)\]

Or,

\[Cos\text{ }C\text{ }=\text{ }({{a}^{2}}~+\text{ }{{b}^{2}}~\text{ }{{c}^{2}})/2ab\]

\[ab\text{ }cos\text{ }C\text{ }=\text{ }({{a}^{2}}~+\text{ }{{b}^{2}}~\text{ }{{c}^{2}})/2\text{ }\ldots \text{ }\left( ii \right)\]

Subtracting equation (i) and (ii) we get,

\[bc\text{ }cos\text{ }A\text{ }\text{ }ab\text{ }cos\text{ }C\]

\[=\text{ }({{b}^{2}}~+\text{ }{{c}^{2}}~\text{ }{{a}^{2}})/2\text{ }\text{ }({{a}^{2}}~+\text{ }{{b}^{2}}~\text{ }{{c}^{2}})/2\]

So,

\[=\text{ }{{c}^{2}}~\text{ }{{a}^{2}}\]

\[\therefore b\text{ }\left( c\text{ }cos\text{ }A\text{ }\text{ }a\text{ }cos\text{ }C \right)\text{ }=\text{ }{{c}^{2}}~\text{ }{{a}^{2}}\]

Hence proved.