Önce şu eşitliği kanıtlayalım: Kanıt için
buradaki bağlantıya da bakılabilir.
$$\begin{array}{lcl}
\cos \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{2 \pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) &=& \frac{4}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times 2 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{2 \pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) \\
& =& \frac{2}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times 2 \sin \left(\frac{2 \pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{2 \pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) \\
& = & \frac{1}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times 2 \sin \left(\frac{4 \pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) \\
& =& \frac{1}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times 2 \sin \left(\pi-\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) \\
& =& \frac{1}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times 2 \sin \left(\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) \cos \left(\frac{3 \pi}{7}\right) \\
& =& \frac{1}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times \sin \left(\frac{6 \pi}{7}\right) \\
& =& \frac{1}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times \sin \left(\pi-\frac{6 \pi}{7}\right) \\
& =& \frac{1}{8 \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right)} \times \sin \left(\frac{\pi}{7}\right) \\
& =& \frac{1}{8}
\end{array}
$$
Şimdi $\cos\pi/7\cdot\cos2\pi/7\cdot\cos3\pi/7=1/8$ eşitliğini kullanalım:
$$
\begin{array}{lcl}
(\cos2\pi/7+\cos4\pi/7)+\cos6\pi/7 &=& (2\cos3\pi/7\cdot\cos\pi/7)+2\cos^23\pi/7-1\\
&=& 2\ (\cos(3\pi/7))(\cos\pi/7+\cos3\pi/7)-1\\
&=& 4\cos\pi/7\cdot\cos2\pi/7\cdot\cos3\pi/7-1\\
&=& 4\cdot1/8-1 \\
&=& -1/2
\end{array}$$ Dolayısıyla $$\cos2\pi/7+\cos4\pi/7+\cos6\pi/7=-1/2$$ olduğundan $$\cos\pi/7+\cos3\pi/7+\cos5\pi/7=1/2$$ bulunur. (veya 1963 Umo sorusu olarak $\cos\pi/7+\cos3\pi/7-\cos2\pi/7=1/2$ )