Most recent change of PiIsIrrational

Edit made on February 26, 2009 by DerekCouzens at 18:45:09

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HEADERS_END
The proof that pi is an irrational number is a little tricky.
You can find it easily with a Google search:

* http://www.google.com/search?q=proof+that+pi+is+irrational

In fact, we have this continued fraction:

EQN:\LARGE\pi=3+\frac{1^2}{6+\frac{3^2}{6+\frac{5^2}{6+\frac{7^2}{6+\frac{9^2}{6+...}}}}}

EQN:\pi is more than just an irrational number, it is a transcendental number.

An immediate consequence of Lindemann's proof of the transcendence of EQN:\pi is that it proves the impossibility of the geometric problem of antiquity known as squaring the circle i.e. constructing a square with the same area as a circle with ruler and compass only.

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* http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Pi.html
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi