Prove that tanx tan(x + π/3) + tanx tan(x − π/3) + tan(x + π/3) tan(x − π/3) = −3

Prove that: \[ \tan x \tan \left(x+\frac{\pi}{3}\right) +\tan x \tan \left(x-\frac{\pi}{3}\right) +\tan \left(x+\frac{\pi}{3}\right) \tan \left(x-\frac{\pi}{3}\right) =-3 \]

Solution

Let

\[ \tan x = t \]

Using the formula

\[ \tan(A\pm B) = \frac{\tan A \pm \tan B}{1 \mp \tan A \tan B} \]

and

\[ \tan \frac{\pi}{3}=\sqrt{3} \]

we get

\[ \tan\left(x+\frac{\pi}{3}\right) = \frac{t+\sqrt{3}}{1-\sqrt{3}t} \]
\[ \tan\left(x-\frac{\pi}{3}\right) = \frac{t-\sqrt{3}}{1+\sqrt{3}t} \]

Now consider

\[ S= t\cdot\frac{t+\sqrt{3}}{1-\sqrt{3}t} +t\cdot\frac{t-\sqrt{3}}{1+\sqrt{3}t} +\frac{t+\sqrt{3}}{1-\sqrt{3}t} \cdot \frac{t-\sqrt{3}}{1+\sqrt{3}t} \]

Take the common denominator:

\[ (1-\sqrt{3}t)(1+\sqrt{3}t) = 1-3t^2 \]

Then

\[ S= \frac{ t(t+\sqrt{3})(1+\sqrt{3}t) +t(t-\sqrt{3})(1-\sqrt{3}t) +(t+\sqrt{3})(t-\sqrt{3}) } {1-3t^2} \]

Expand each term:

\[ t(t+\sqrt{3})(1+\sqrt{3}t) = 3t^3+\sqrt{3}t^2+t^2+\sqrt{3}t \]
\[ t(t-\sqrt{3})(1-\sqrt{3}t) = 3t^3-\sqrt{3}t^2+t^2-\sqrt{3}t \]
\[ (t+\sqrt{3})(t-\sqrt{3}) = t^2-3 \]

Adding,

\[ =6t^3+3t^2-3 \]
\[ =3(2t^3+t^2-1) \]

Using factorization,

\[ 6t^3+3t^2-3 = -3(1-3t^2) \]

Therefore,

\[ S= \frac{-3(1-3t^2)}{1-3t^2} \]
\[ S=-3 \]

Hence proved.

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