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Worked solution

Approximate a shifted tangent using an exact identity

If x is sufficiently small for terms in x higher than x2x^2 to be negligible, obtain an approximation for tan⁡(π/4+x/3)\tan(\pi/4+x/3).

CJC · Lecture · Self-Practice 3

Use tangent addition before expanding

Both copies print only the answer. Independently put u=x/3 and use

tan⁡(π/4+u)=1+tan⁡u1−tan⁡u.\tan(\pi/4+u)=\frac{1+\tan u}{1-\tan u}.

Since tan⁡u=u+O(u3)\tan u=u+O(u^3), its cubic correction cannot affect the requested quadratic coefficients near u=0.

How did this part go?

Keep both sources of the quadratic term

Through the quadratic order,

1+u1−u=(1+u)(1+u+u2+⋯ )=1+2u+2u2+⋯ .\begin{aligned}&\frac{1+u}{1-u}\\ & =(1+u)(1+u+u^2+\cdots)\\ & =1+2u+2u^2+\cdots.\end{aligned}

Substitute u=x/3 to get the printed answer 1+23x+29x21+\tfrac23x+\tfrac29x^2. This is an approximation to the original shifted tangent, not an exact finite identity.

How did this part go?

Common mistakes

Do not approximate tan(π/4+x/3) by π/4+x/3; only the small increment can use the zero-centred tangent series.

Solution notes

Printed answer retained; derivation independently supplied. The existing Discussion tan(π/4+x) problem has a different argument and additional asks; its canonical identity is unchanged. No marks or attribution.

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