I tediously opened Maple, spent probably several millijoules of energy pressing down keys on my keyboard, which strongly desired to go back up. All while monitoring that the patterns of light created on my screen matched those Blotz had written - in an entirely different font, if I may add. I laborously recalled a function called "simplify" from the dark depths of my memories, and finally I pressed enter. Then I worked hard on taking a screenshot, and afterwards uploading it to the internet, before finally beginning to write a post, which I finished some seconds later, completing my great work of today.
Anyway looks like your friend was correct. Maybe I'll consider stuff when I'm done with some exams.
But if it's for school, I'd recommend trying to solve it yourself, using probably some of these relations. You'll learn more from that than us solving it for you.