tan x+y = (tan x + tan y) / (1 - tan x tan y) We already know (see trig identities) that cos x+y = cos

x cos y - sin x sin y and sin x+y = sin x cos y + cos x sin y So tan x + y = (sin x+y) / (cos x+y) = (sin x cos y + cos x sin y) / (cos x cos y - sin x sin y) Dividing both numerator and denominator by (cos x)(cos y), we get: = ( sin x / cos x + sin y / cos y) / (1 - sin x sin y/(cos x cos y)) = (tan x + tan y) / (1 - tan x tan y) That was too easy, wasn't it? Now let's have some fun with this. You may run into a problem in your math career that goes something like this: Evaluate the following sum exactly: Tan-1(1/2) + Tan-1(1/5) + Tan-1(1/8) The way you solve such a problem is this: Let x = Tan-1(1/2), so tan x = 1/2 Let y = Tan-1(1/5), so tan y = 1/5, and Let z = Tan-1(1/8), so tan z = 1/8 Now if you can find w = tan x+y+z, the answer will be tan-1 w. We start by finding tan x+y = (tan x + tan y) / (1 - tan x tan y) = (1/2 + 1/5) / (1 - (1/2)(1/5)) = (7/10) / (9/10) = 7/9 Now we apply the formula again to find tan (x+y)+z = (tan(x+y) + tan z) / (1 - tan(x+y)tan z) = (7/9 + 1/8) / (1 - (7/9)(1/8)) = (56/72 + 7/72) / (1 - 7/72) = (63/72) / (63/72)

=1 So w = tan x+y+z = 1, so tan-1 w = tan-1 1 = pi/4 Isn't that cute? Tan-1(1/2) + Tan-1(1/5) + Tan-1(1/8) = pi/4 What's so magical about these numbers, 1/2, 1/5, and 1/8 that make their arctans add up to such a "round" number? Let's investigate... In general, the formula for combining three angles, a=Tan-1(x), b=Tan-1(y), and c=Tan-1(z) can be derived by repeating the formula one more time: Tan-1(a+b+c)= =((a+b)/(1-ab)+c)/(1-((a+b)/(1-ab))c) =(a+b+c-abc)/(1-bc-ab-ac) Combining another angle, d, Tan-1(a+b+c+d)= =((a+b+c-abc)/(1-bc-ab-ac)+d)/(1-((a+b+c-abc)/(1-bc-ab-ac))d) =(a+b+c+d-bcd-acd-abd-abc) / (1-ab-ac-ad-bc-bd-cd+abcd) Coming up with magical formulas -- like combining the arctans of 1/8, 1/5, and 1/2 to get the arctan of 1 -- is really fairly easy. Just set the four-angle combination, above, equal to 1 and solve for d 1=(a+b+c+d-bcd-acd-abd-abc) / (1-ab-ac-ad-bc-bd-cd+abcd) d=(1-a-b-c-ab-ac-bc+abc)/(1+a+b+c-ab-ac-bc-abc) Using this formula, we can see, for example, that for the sums of 2/7, 1/8, 1/5 and d to be equal to the arctan of 1, then d must be equal to 3/16. You can see that if a, b, and c are rational numbers then d will be rational, too. It is surprising and fun to see that d is not only rational, but fairly simple in most cases, because a lot of canceling happens when you add calculate this fraction.

Tangent of AB

Sometimes (not very often) you have to deal with the tangent of the sum or difference of two angles. I have only a vague idea of the formula, but its easy enough to work out on the fly: tan(A+B) = sin(A+B) / cos(A+B) tan(A+B) = (sin A cos B + cos A sin B) / (cos A cos B sin A sin B) What a mess! Theres no way to factor that and remove common terms or is there? Suppose you start with a vague idea that youd like to know tan(A+B) in terms of tan A andtan B rather than all those sines and cosines. The numerator and denominator contain sines and cosines, so if you divide by cosines youd expect to end up with sines or perhaps sines over cosines. But sine/cosine is tangent, so this seems like a promising line of attack. Since youve got cosines of angles A and B to contend with, try dividing the numerator and denominator of the fraction by cos A cos B: tan(A+B) = (sin A cos B + cos A sin B) / (cos A cos B sin A sin B) tan(A+B) = [sin A/cos A + sin B/cos B] / [1 sin Asin B/cos Acos B]

The sum and difference formulas for tangent are valid for values in which tan , tan , and tan() are defined. Sum and Dfference formulas for Tangent

We can also use the tangent formula to find the angle between two lines. We will get two cases which are supplementary to each other. To find the angle in between two lines, we need to know the slope of both lines. The equation looks like:

sample problems 1) Find the exact value of tan 105o Solution: Use one of the above formulas. Find a pair of numbers that you know the exact value of that add up to 105. Try 45 and 60!! Use the addition formula!

2) Find the two supplementary angles formed by the lines y = 2x -5 and y = -3x + 2

Solution: let m1 = 2 and m2 = -3

One angle is 45o and the other is 135o.

3) If the tan x = -7/24 and cot y = 3/4, x is in quadrant II and y is in quadrant III, find each of the following: a) tan(x + y) b) tan(x - y) Solution: a) Since the tangent and cotangent functions are reciprocals, tan y = 4/3

b)

4) Verify tan(x - /2) = -cot x Solution: Since the tangent is undefined at /2, we must change to sine and cosine.

5) Let sin x = 3/5 and sin y = 5/13 and both angles are in quadrant I, find tan(x + y). Solution: Since sin x = 3/5, cos x = 4/5 and tan x = 3/4. Since sin y = 5/13, cos y = 12/13 and tan y = 5/12

Question 142. Prove that tan 10 = (tan20)(tan30)(tan40). Answer 142. tan20tan30tan40 = tan30 * tan(30 - 10) * tan(30 + tan10) = tan30 * [(tan30 - tan10)/(1 + tan30tan10)] * [(tan30 + tan10)/(1 - tan30tan10)] = tan30 * [(tan^2 30 - tan^2 10)/(1 - tan^2 30 * tan^2 10) = tan30 * [(1/3 - tan^2 10)/(1 - (1/3)tan^2 10)] = tan30 * [(1 - 3tan^2 10)/(3 - tan^2 10)] = tan30 * tan10 * [(1 - 3tan^2 10)/(3tan10 - tan^3 10)] ... [Multiplying and dividing by tan10] = tan30 * tan10 * 1/tan30 = tan10.

addition and subtraction formulas for tangent The addition formula for tangent will be achieved via brute force from the addition formulas for sine and cosine.

Note that tan is an odd function, i.e. tan(x)=tanx . This fact enables us to obtain the subtraction formula for tangent. tan( )=tan( +( ))=tan +tan( )1tan tan( )=tan tan 1+tan tan