Re: Need help conceptualizing the constant \"e\"
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
By definition e is the limit of (1+1/n)^n as n approaches infinity .
[/ QUOTE ]
I think this definition is arbitrary. e shows up in all sorts of places and you could use any one of them as the starting point to define it. My first introduction to e was by way of the area under the curve 1/x. e is that number such that the area from 1 to e under the curve 1/x is 1. The natural log function, ln, is defined as the area under the curve 1/x so from this definition e is that number such that ln(e)=1. From this definition properties like the one above can be derived.
PairTheBoard
[/ QUOTE ]
Somebody else must have written this post for you.
|