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JEE Advanced 2023 Paper 1 · Mathematics · Limits · hard

Let L=lim x→0(tan (sin x)-sin (tan x))/(x^7. Find 1/L.

Numerical answer

Let L=lim⁡x→0tan⁡(sin⁡x)−sin⁡(tan⁡x)x7L=\displaystyle\lim_{x\to0}\dfrac{\tan(\sin x)-\sin(\tan x)}{x^{7}}. Find 1L\dfrac1L.
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Answer: 30

Expand with Maclaurin series. sin⁡x=x−x36+x5120−x75040\sin x=x-\frac{x^3}{6}+\frac{x^5}{120}-\frac{x^7}{5040} and tan⁡x=x+x33+2x515+17x7315\tan x=x+\frac{x^3}{3}+\frac{2x^5}{15}+\frac{17x^7}{315}.
Composing, both tan⁡(sin⁡x)\tan(\sin x) and sin⁡(tan⁡x)\sin(\tan x) equal x+x36−x540+…x+\frac{x^3}{6}-\frac{x^5}{40}+\dots up to the x5x^5 term, so their difference starts at x7x^7. Carrying the composition to order 77 gives
tan⁡(sin⁡x)=x+x36−x540−107x75040+…,sin⁡(tan⁡x)=x+x36−x540−55x71008+…\tan(\sin x)=x+\frac{x^3}{6}-\frac{x^5}{40}-\frac{107x^7}{5040}+\dots,\qquad \sin(\tan x)=x+\frac{x^3}{6}-\frac{x^5}{40}-\frac{55x^7}{1008}+\dots
Subtracting, the coefficient of x7x^7 is −1075040+2755040=1685040=130-\frac{107}{5040}+\frac{275}{5040}=\frac{168}{5040}=\frac{1}{30} (confirmed by computer algebra). Since higher terms vanish in the limit, L=130L=\frac1{30} and 1L=30\frac1L=30. Using L'Hopital seven times would be far longer, which is why the series route is preferred here.
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