<s>[INST] To prove: $\cot^{-1}7+\cot^{-1}8+\cot^{-1}18 = \cot^{-1}3$ To prove: $\cot^{-1}7+\cot^{-1}8+\cot^{-1}18 = \cot^{-1}3$
My Attempt:
First Method: we know that $\cot^{-1}x = \tan^{-1}\frac{1}{x}$ for $x>0$ and $\tan^{-1}x+\tan^{-1}y = \tan^{-1}\frac{x+y}{1-xy}, xy<1$
Now $\cot^{-1}7+\cot^{-1}8+\cot^{-1}18$ = $\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{7}+\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{8}+\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{18}$ = $(\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{7}+\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{8})+\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{18}$ = $\tan^{-1}\frac{\frac{1}{7}+\frac{1}{8}}{1-\frac{1}{7}\frac{1}{8}}+\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{18}$ = $\tan^{-1}\frac{\frac{15}{56}}{\frac{55}{56}}+\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{18}$ = $\tan^{-1}\frac{3}{11} +\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{18}$ = $\tan^{-1}\frac{\frac{3}{11}+\frac{1}{18}}{1-\frac{3}{11}\frac{1}{18}}$ = $\tan^{-1}\frac{\frac{65}{198}}{\frac{195}{198}}$ = $\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{3}$ = $\cot^{-1}3$
Second Method: we know that $\tan^{-1}x+\cot^{-1}x = \frac{π}{2}$ for $x \in \Bbb R$. So $\cot^{-1}x = \frac{π}{2} - \tan^{-1}x$.
Now $$\cot^{-1}7+\cot^{-1}8+\cot^{-1}18 = \frac{π}{2} - \tan^{-1}7+ \frac{π}{2} - \tan^{-1}8+ \frac{π}{2} - \tan^{-1}18 \implies \\ \frac{3π}{2} - (\tan^{-1}7+\tan^{-1}8+\tan^{-1}18) = \frac{3π}{2} - \tan^{-1}\frac{7+8+18-7×8×18}{1-7×8-8×18-7×18} \\ = \frac{3π}{2} - \tan^{-1}\frac{-975}{-325} = \frac{3π}{2} - \tan^{-1}3 = π + (\frac{π}{2} - \tan^{-1}3) = π + \cot^{-1}3 .$$ Also we know that $\tan x$ and $\cot x$ are periodic function with period $π$. Please help me in Second Method. Is $π + \cot^{-1}3 = \cot^{-1}3$ ?. If yes, then elaborate it.
 [/INST] ${tan^{-1}(1/7)+tan^{-1}(1/8)+tan^{-1}(1/18)}$

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*${tan^{-1}  \left[  \frac{ (1/7)+(1/8) } { \left( 1 \right)  - (1/7)(1/8) }  \right]  + tan^{-1}(1/18) }$

*= ${tan^{-1}  \frac {3}{11} + tan^{-1} \frac{1}{18}}$

*=${tan^{-1} \left[  \frac {(3/11)+(1/18)} {\left (1 \right) - (3/11)(1/18)} \right] }$

*= ${tan^{-1} \frac{1}{3} }$ or ${cot^{-1} {3}}$
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