"In contrast to the irrational numbers, whose discovery arose from a mundane problem in geometry, the first transcendental numbers were created specifically for the purpose of demonstrating that such numbers exist; in a sense they were 'artificial' numbers. But once this goal was achieved, attention turned to some more commonplace numbers, specifically π and e."
"Why did he [Euler] choose the letter e? There is no consensus. According to one view, Euler chose it because it is the first letter of the word exponential. More likely, the choice came to him naturally, since the letters a, b, c, and d frequently appeared elsewhere in mathematics. It seems unlikely that Euler chose the letter because it is the initial of his own name, as occasionally has been suggested. He was an extremely modest man and often delayed publication of his own work so that a colleague or student of his would get due credit. In any event, his choice of the symbol e, like so many other symbols of his, became universally accepted." (Eli Maor, "e: The Story of a Number", 1994)
"The equation e^πi+1 = 0 is true only by virtue of a large number of profound connections across many fields. It is true because of what it means! And it means what it means because of all those metaphors and blends in the conceptual system of a mathematician who understands what it means. To show why such an equation is true for conceptual reasons is to give what we have called an idea analysis of the equation."
"The equation e^πi =-1 says that the function w= e^z, when applied to the complex number πi as input, yields the real number -1 as the output, the value of w. In the complex plane, πi is the point [0,π) - π on the i-axis. The function w=e^z maps that point, which is in the z-plane, onto the point (-1, 0) - that is, -1 on the x-axis-in the w-plane. […] But its meaning is not given by the values computed for the function w=e^z. Its meaning is conceptual, not numerical. The importance of e^πi =-1 lies in what it tells us about how various branches of mathematics are related to one another - how algebra is related to geometry, geometry to trigonometry, calculus to trigonometry, and how the arithmetic of complex numbers relates to all of them."
"I think e^iπ+1=0 is beautiful because it is true even in the face of enormous potential constraint. The equality is precise; the left-hand side is not 'almost' or 'pretty near' or 'just about' zero, but exactly zero. That five numbers, each with vastly different origins, and each with roles in mathematics that cannot be exaggerated, should be connected by such a simple relationship, is just stunning. It is beautiful. And unlike the physics or chemistry or engineering of today, which will almost surely appear archaic to technicians of the far future, Euler's formula will still appear, to the arbitrarily advanced mathematicians ten thousand years hence, to be beautiful and stunning and untarnished by time." (Paul J Nahin, "Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures Many Mathematical Ills", 2006)
"At first glance, the number e, known in mathematics as Euler’s number, doesn’t seem like much. It’s about 2.7, a quantity of such modest size that it invites contempt in our age of wretched excess and relentless hype." (David Stipp, "A Most Elegant Equation: Euler's Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics", 2017)
"But e is not to be trifled with. It’s one of math’s most versatile superheroes. To begin with, it’s uniquely valuable for mathematically representing growth or shrinkage. That alone makes it a standout. In fact, e’s usefulness for dealing with problems related to the growth of savings via compound interest is what brought about its discovery in the 1600s." (David Stipp, "A Most Elegant Equation: Euler's Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics", 2017)
"But e’s greatest claim to fame is that when dressed up with a variable exponent,* it becomes a very special function. (See box.) This function is usually written as ex, that is e raised to the x power." (David Stipp, "A Most Elegant Equation: Euler's Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics", 2017)
"But here’s a curious thing about modest little e that sets it apart from bombastic numbers that end in scads of zeros: no matter how long you allow the computer to crank away with ever larger numbers for n, you’ll never be able to calculate its exact numerical value. That’s because the digits to the right of e’s decimal point go on forever in a random pattern - Euler actually established this in 1737. In other words, e effectively encapsulates the infinite." (David Stipp, "A Most Elegant Equation: Euler's Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics", 2017)
"Clearly e is different from child-safe numbers such as four or 10, which wouldn’t dream of inducing sudden loss of cranial integrity. But this wantonness isn’t peculiar to e. In fact, the number line is chock full of numbers, like e, whose decimal representations are effectively infinite. They’re called irrational numbers." (David Stipp, "A Most Elegant Equation: Euler's Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics", 2017)
"[…] the equation’s five seemingly unrelated numbers (e, i, π, 1, and 0) fit neatly together in the formula like contiguous puzzle pieces. One might think that a cosmic carpenter had jig-sawed them one day and mischievously left them conjoined on Euler’s desk as a tantalizing hint of the unfathomable connectedness of things." (David Stipp, "A Most Elegant Equation: Euler's Formula and the Beauty of Mathematics", 2017)
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." (Albert A Bartlett)
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