Transcendental number theoryTranscendental number theory is a branch of number theory that investigates transcendental numbers (numbers that are not solutions of any polynomial equation with rational coefficients), in both qualitative and quantitative ways. Transcendental number The fundamental theorem of algebra tells us that if we have a non-constant polynomial with rational coefficients (or equivalently, by clearing denominators, with integer coefficients) then that polynomial will have a root in the complex numbers.
Quadratic irrational numberIn mathematics, a quadratic irrational number (also known as a quadratic irrational or quadratic surd) is an irrational number that is the solution to some quadratic equation with rational coefficients which is irreducible over the rational numbers. Since fractions in the coefficients of a quadratic equation can be cleared by multiplying both sides by their least common denominator, a quadratic irrational is an irrational root of some quadratic equation with integer coefficients.
Cantor's first set theory articleCantor's first set theory article contains Georg Cantor's first theorems of transfinite set theory, which studies infinite sets and their properties. One of these theorems is his "revolutionary discovery" that the set of all real numbers is uncountably, rather than countably, infinite. This theorem is proved using Cantor's first uncountability proof, which differs from the more familiar proof using his diagonal argument.
Apéry's constantIn mathematics, Apéry's constant is the sum of the reciprocals of the positive cubes. That is, it is defined as the number where ζ is the Riemann zeta function. It has an approximate value of ζ(3) = 1.20205 69031 59594 28539 97381 61511 44999 07649 86292 ... . The constant is named after Roger Apéry. It arises naturally in a number of physical problems, including in the second- and third-order terms of the electron's gyromagnetic ratio using quantum electrodynamics.
Algebraic independenceIn abstract algebra, a subset of a field is algebraically independent over a subfield if the elements of do not satisfy any non-trivial polynomial equation with coefficients in . In particular, a one element set is algebraically independent over if and only if is transcendental over . In general, all the elements of an algebraically independent set over are by necessity transcendental over , and over all of the field extensions over generated by the remaining elements of .
Kurt MahlerKurt Mahler FRS (26 July 1903, Krefeld, Germany – 25 February 1988, Canberra, Australia) was a German mathematician who worked in the fields of transcendental number theory, diophantine approximation, p-adic analysis, and the geometry of numbers. Mahler was a student at the universities in Frankfurt and Göttingen, graduating with a Ph.D. from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main in 1927; his advisor was Carl Ludwig Siegel. He left Germany with the rise of Adolf Hitler and accepted an invitation by Louis Mordell to go to Manchester.
Algebraic functionIn mathematics, an algebraic function is a function that can be defined as the root of a polynomial equation. Quite often algebraic functions are algebraic expressions using a finite number of terms, involving only the algebraic operations addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and raising to a fractional power. Examples of such functions are: Some algebraic functions, however, cannot be expressed by such finite expressions (this is the Abel–Ruffini theorem).
Roger ApéryRoger Apéry (apeʁi; 14 November 1916, Rouen – 18 December 1994, Caen) was a French mathematician most remembered for Apéry's theorem, which states that ζ(3) is an irrational number. Here, ζ(s) denotes the Riemann zeta function. Apéry was born in Rouen in 1916 to a French mother and Greek father. His childhood was spent in Lille until 1926, when the family moved to Paris, where he studied at the Lycée Ledru-Rollin and the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. He was admitted at the École normale supérieure in 1935.
Euler's constantEuler's constant (sometimes called the Euler–Mascheroni constant) is a mathematical constant, usually denoted by the lowercase Greek letter gamma (γ), defined as the limiting difference between the harmonic series and the natural logarithm, denoted here by log: Here, ⌊ ⌋ represents the floor function. The numerical value of Euler's constant, to 50 decimal places, is: The constant first appeared in a 1734 paper by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler, titled De Progressionibus harmonicis observationes (Eneström Index 43).
Pi (letter)Pi (/ˈpaɪ/; Ancient Greek /piː/ or /peî/, uppercase Π, lowercase π, cursive π; πι pi) is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, meaning units united, and representing the voiceless bilabial plosive p. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 80. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Pe (). Letters that arose from pi include Latin P, Cyrillic Pe (П, п), Coptic pi (Ⲡ, ⲡ), and Gothic pairthra (𐍀). The uppercase letter Π is used as a symbol for: In textual criticism, Codex Petropolitanus, a 9th-century uncial codex of the Gospels, now located in St.