Euler's Equation: 'The Most Beautiful Theorem in Mathematics' (2024)

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Euler’s pioneering equation, the ‘most beautiful equation in mathematics’, links the five most important constants in the subject: 1, 0, π, e and i. Central to both mathematics and physics, it has also featured in a criminal court case, on a postage stamp, and appeared twice in The Simpsons. So what is this equation – and why is it pioneering?

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Euler's Equation: 'The Most Beautiful Theorem in Mathematics' (4)

Professor Robin Wilson

Professor of Geometry

Professor Robin Wilson is Emeritus Gresham Professor of Geometry, a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Open University, and a Stipendiary Lecturer at Pembroke College, Oxford. Professor Wilson also regularly teaches as a guest Professor at Colorado College.

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Euler's Equation: 'The Most Beautiful Theorem in Mathematics' (2024)

FAQs

Euler's Equation: 'The Most Beautiful Theorem in Mathematics'? ›

Euler's pioneering equation, the 'most beautiful equation in mathematics', links the five most important constants in the subject: 1, 0, π, e and i. Central to both mathematics and physics, it has also featured in a criminal court case, on a postage stamp, and appeared twice in The Simpsons.

What is a most elegant equation Euler's formula? ›

Bertrand Russell wrote that mathematics can exalt "as surely as poetry." This is especially true of one equation: ei(pi) + 1 = 0, the brainchild of Leonhard Euler, the Mozart of mathematics. More than two centuries after Euler's death, it is still regarded as a conceptual diamond of unsurpassed beauty.

What is the famous Euler formula? ›

Euler's formula, either of two important mathematical theorems of Leonhard Euler. The first formula, used in trigonometry and also called the Euler identity, says eix = cos x + isin x, where e is the base of the natural logarithm and i is the square root of −1 (see imaginary number).

What is special about Euler's formula? ›

Euler's identity is considered to be an exemplar of mathematical beauty as it shows a profound connection between the most fundamental numbers in mathematics. In addition, it is directly used in a proof that π is transcendental, which implies the impossibility of squaring the circle.

What is the brilliant Euler's formula? ›

One immediate application of Euler's formula is to extend the definition of the trigonometric functions to allow for arguments that extend the range of the functions beyond what is allowed under the real numbers. e i x + e − i x = 2 cos ⁡ x . e^{ix} + e^{-ix} = 2 \cos{x}. eix+e−ix=2cosx.

What is the most beautiful mathematical equation in the world? ›

Euler's pioneering equation, the 'most beautiful equation in mathematics', links the five most important constants in the subject: 1, 0, π, e and i. Central to both mathematics and physics, it has also featured in a criminal court case, on a postage stamp, and appeared twice in The Simpsons.

What is the Euler's equation for God? ›

One of the most beautiful equations in mathematics is considered to be Euler's formula, also known as Euler's identity. This equation, e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0, is a compact representation of several important mathematical concepts and has far-reaching implications in many areas of mathematics and physics including AI.

What is the queen of mathematics? ›

Carl Friedrich Gauss one of the greatest mathematicians, is said to have claimed: "Mathematics is the queen of the sciences and number theory is the queen of mathematics." The properties of primes play a crucial part in number theory.

What is the equation of beauty? ›

Referred to as the “Golden Ratio”, this is the exact ratio measurement thought to be needed to achieve symmetry and beauty. This applies to all things including nature, buildings, and the human body. A person is thought to be attractive if the length of their face divided by the width of their face equals 1.618.

What is Euler's perfect equation? ›

Euler's formula is eⁱˣ=cos(x)+i⋅sin(x), and Euler's Identity is e^(iπ)+1=0. See how these are obtained from the Maclaurin series of cos(x), sin(x), and eˣ. This is one of the most amazing things in all of mathematics!

How Euler's formula changed the world? ›

Euler's formula for polyhedra

Euler's formula is foundational in the fields of geometry and topology, providing a critical tool for mathematicians and scientists to explore the properties of more complex structures, such as networks and graphs.

What are the applications of Euler's formula in real life? ›

Applications of Euler's Formula: It influences various fields such as engineering, physics, and computer science by simplifying complex calculations, transforming differential equations into algebraic ones, and allowing representations of infinite series and relations between trigonometric functions and exponentials.

Why is Euler's number so special? ›

Why Is Euler's Number Important? Euler's number frequently appears in problems related to growth or decay, where the rate of change is determined by the present value of the number being measured. One example is in biology, where bacterial populations are expected to double at reliable intervals.

What is the famous Euler's equation? ›

Euler's identity is the famous mathematical equation e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 where e is Euler's number, approximately equal to 2.71828, i is the imaginary number where i^2 = -1, and pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to the circle's diameter approximately equal to 3.14.

What is Leonhard Euler's rule? ›

Euler has also been credited for discovering that the sum of the numbers of vertices and faces minus the number of edges of a polyhedron equals 2, a number now commonly known as the Euler characteristic.

What is Euler's IQ? ›

Leonhard Euler

Having estimated IQ scores that range from 180 to 200, he was one of the founders of pure mathematics and developed the study of integral calculus.

What is Euler's beautiful equation? ›

Euler's identity is the famous mathematical equation e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0 where e is Euler's number, approximately equal to 2.71828, i is the imaginary number where i^2 = -1, and pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to the circle's diameter approximately equal to 3.14.

What is the most elegant physics equation? ›

The formula most commonly rated as beautiful in the study, in both the initial survey and the brain scan, was Euler's equation, eiπ+ 1 = 0.

What is the elegant equation? ›

Euler's Identity is written simply as: e^(iπ) + 1 = 0, it comprises the five most important mathematical constants, and it is an equation that has been compared to a Shakespearean sonnet.

What is the most well known equation? ›

The equation E = Mc2 is perhaps the most famous equation of twentieth- century physics. It is a statement that mass and energy are two forms of the same thing, and that one can be converted into the other (ibid., p.

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