Home » Euler’s number (e)

Euler’s number (e)

Share This
« Back to Glossary Index

Euler’s number, similarly to pi, is a constant which occurs repeatedly throughout nature. It is symbolized as e. It has a value of 2.71828… and goes on indefinitely as a non-repeating decimal.

There are many ways to calculate the value of e. One way is to calculate the answer to the equation (1 + 1/n)n . As n gets larger and larger, the answer more closely approximates e to more and more decimal places. No repeating pattern of numbers has been found when calculating e.

e, like pi, is a mathematical constant that pops up in math expressions used in many different fields. e is used in calculations of logarithms, compound interest, probabilities, the behavior of quantum particles, and in many other applications.

e is named in honor of the great Swiss mathematician and physicist, Leonhard Euler (1707-1783).