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Example of plotting functions.
% Author: Izaak Neutelings (June, 2017)
% based on code from a friend
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath} % for \dfrac
\usepackage{tikz}
\tikzset{>=latex} % for LaTeX arrow head
\usepackage{pgfplots} % for the axis environment
% split figures into pages
\usepackage[active,tightpage]{preview}
\PreviewEnvironment{tikzpicture}
\setlength\PreviewBorder{1pt}%
\begin{document}
% DRAW PLOT: sin, cos, tan
\begin{tikzpicture}[domain=-pi:pi,xscale=2/pi]
% limits
\def\xa{ -pi-0.3}
\def\xb{3*pi+0.4}
\def\ya{-3.4}
\def\yb{ 3.6}
\def\N{100} % number of points
% axes & grid
\draw[xstep=pi/2,very thin, color=gray]
(\xa,\ya) grid (\xb,\yb);
\draw[->]
(\xa,0) -- (\xb,0)
node[right] {$x$};
\draw[->]
(0,\ya) -- (0,\yb)
node[left] {$y$};
% ticks
\draw[] % x
node[below,scale=0.9] at ( -pi, 0) {$-\pi$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at ( -pi/2, 0) {$-\dfrac{\pi}{2}$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at ( pi, 0) {$\pi$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at ( 0, 0) {0}
node[below,scale=0.9] at ( pi/2, 0) {$\dfrac{\pi}{2}$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at ( pi, 0) {$\pi$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at (3*pi/2, 0) {$\dfrac{3\pi}{2}$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at (2*pi, 0) {$2\pi$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at (5*pi/2, 0) {$\dfrac{5\pi}{2}$}
node[below,scale=0.9] at (3*pi, 0) {$3\pi$};
\draw[] % y
node[left,scale=0.9] at ( 0, 3) {$3$}
node[left,scale=0.9] at ( 0, 2) {$2$}
node[left,scale=0.9] at ( 0, 1) {$1$}
node[left,scale=0.9] at ( 0, 0) {$0$}
node[left,scale=0.9] at ( 0, -1) {$-1$}
node[left,scale=0.9] at ( 0, -2) {$-2$}
node[left,scale=0.9] at ( 0, -3) {$-3$};
% functions
\def\ea{0.28}
\def\eb{0.26}
\draw[color=blue,samples=\N,domain=\xa:\xb] % SIN
plot(\x,{sin(\x r)}) % r for radians
node[above right] at (5*pi/2,1) {$\sin(x)$};
\draw[color=red,samples=\N,domain=\xa:\xb] % COS
plot(\x,{cos(\x r)})
node[above left] at (2*pi,1) {$\cos(x)$};
\draw[color=orange] % TAN
plot[samples=\N,domain= \xa : -pi/2-\eb] (\x, {tan(\x r)})
plot[samples=\N,domain= -pi/2+\ea: pi/2-\eb] (\x, {tan(\x r)})
plot[samples=\N,domain= pi/2+\ea: 3*pi/2-\eb] (\x, {tan(\x r)})
plot[samples=\N,domain= 3*pi/2+\ea: 5*pi/2-\eb] (\x, {tan(\x r)})
plot[samples=\N,domain= 5*pi/2+\ea: \xb ] (\x, {tan(\x r)})
node[samples=\N,right=-2pt] at (pi/2,2.5) {$\tan(x)$};
\end{tikzpicture}
% AXIS ENVIRONMENT: sin, cos, tan
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[enlargelimits=false,
axis lines=middle,
scale=1.2,
xtick={-3.15159, -1.57080, 0,
1.57080, 3.15159, 4.71239,
6.28318, 7.85398, 9.42478 },
xticklabels={$-\pi$, $-\frac{1}{2}\pi$, 0,
$\frac{1}{2}\pi$, $\pi$, $\frac{3}{2}\pi$,
$2\pi$, $\frac{5}{2}\pi$, $3\pi$ },
ytick={-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3},
grid=major, % only a grid on the defined ticks
samples=100 % number of points
]
% sin
\addplot[blue,no marks,domain=-1.2*pi:3*pi]{sin(deg(x))}; % deg to convert radians
\node[right=10pt,above] at (axis cs:5*pi/2,1){\color{blue}$\sin(x)$};
% cos
\addplot[red,no marks,domain=-1.2*pi:3*pi] {cos(deg(x))};
\node[above left] at (axis cs:2*pi,1){\color{red}$\cos(x)$};
% tan, multiple parts because of singularities
\addplot[orange,no marks,domain=-1.2*pi:-0.583*pi, ]{tan(deg(x))};
\addplot[orange,no marks,domain=-0.4*pi:5*pi/12, ]{tan(deg(x))};
\addplot[orange,no marks,domain=27*pi/45:17*pi/12, ]{tan(deg(x))};
\addplot[orange,no marks,domain=1.6*pi:29*pi/12, ]{tan(deg(x))};
\addplot[orange,no marks,domain=2.6*pi:36*pi/12, ]{tan(deg(x))};
\node[right] at (axis cs:pi/2,2.5){\color{orange}$\tan(x)$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
% AXIS ENVIRONMENT: arcsin, arccos, arctan
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[enlargelimits=false,
axis lines=middle,
xtick={-2,-1,0,1,2},
ytick={-1.570780, 1.570780, 3.14159},
yticklabels={$-\frac{1}{2}\pi$,$\frac{1}{2}\pi$,$\pi$},
grid=major,
samples=100
]
% arcsin
\addplot[domain=-1:1,no marks,blue] {rad(asin(x))};
\node at (axis cs:1.52,1.4){\color{blue}$\arcsin(x)$};
% arccos
\addplot[domain=-1:1,no marks,red] {rad(acos(x))};
\node at (axis cs:-1.5,2.8){\color{red}$\arccos(x)$};
% arctan
\addplot[domain=-2:2,no marks,orange] {rad(atan(x))};
\node at (axis cs:1.52,.67){\color{orange}$\arctan(x)$};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}