How do you verify the identity ##(csc x - cot x)^2 = (1 - cos x)/(1+cosx)##?

Start from the left side.

Since the right side contains cosines, rewrite the cosecant and cotangent functions as sines and cosines.

##(cscx-cotx)^2=(1/sinx-cosx/sinx)^2=(1-cosx)^2/sin^2x##

Use the identity ##sin^2x+cos^2x=1##.

##(1-cosx)^2/sin^2x=(1-cosx)^2/(1-cos^2x)##

Remember that ##a^2-b^2=(a-b)(a+b)##.

##(1-cosx)^2/(1-cos^2x)=(1-cosx)^2/((1-cosx)(1+cosx))=(1-cosx)/(1+cosx)##

Hence

##(cscx-cotx)^2=(1-cosx)/(1+cosx)##