NUMBERS (Discovery Channel)
The Universe's Greatest Mathematical Constants: No Holds Barred!
Math Joke of the Day

Old mathematicians don't die...

They just lose some of their functions.

The Battlefield Who Reigns Supreme?

Enter the Biggest Brawl of all time. Dr B. and Dr. T lead you through the ultimate conflict: The universe's greatest mathematical constants going head to head.

Sort by: Value | Date Discovered | Status

M3
Madelung's Constant
-1.7475645946331821
How much energy would you need to break apart a single crystal of salt? Madelung’s constant holds the key! Read More
h
Planck's Constant
6.62606 x 10-34
Originally, we thought that light was merely a wave, but Planck’s blackbody radiation experiments reveal that light also acts like a particle. Planck’s constant caused a revolution in light theory. Read More
Omega
Chaitin's Binary Constant
0.007875474041752057
A modern computational probability that has broad implications about the complexity of the universe. Read More
Gamma
Euler's Constant
0.5772156649015329
The Harmonic Series, a subtle giant, is a sum who lazily wanders off to infinity. When he gets suddenly attacked by the natural log, all that remains of the fierce battle is Euler's constant gamma. Read More
log_e 2
The Natural Logarithm
0.6931471805599453
The natural logarithm of 2 has the magic power of doubling. Whether you are talking about cell growth, population growth, decay, the continuous growth of money, or the effects of inflation, loge2 makes its mark. Read More
Zeta 3
Apéry’s Constant
1.202056903159594285399738
This constant is active in scattered areas of math, and is a close relative of the Riemann Hypothesis. A million dollar prize is being offered to the first clever mathematician to prove this hypothesis. Read More
Root 2
The First Surd
1.414213562373095048801688
Root 2 is a radical that redefined and expanded what math could do and what it could be. It is probably the first known irrational number, and it is the first known root. Read More
Phi
The Golden Ratio
1.618033988749894848204586
Appearing everywhere from the Parthenon to Penrose tilings to pinecones, pansies, and pineapples, the golden ratio pervades nature, art, and architecture. Read More
1/log e
The Common Logarithm
2.30258509299405
Logarithms revolutionized astronomy, mapping, navigation, and general computation. Your ears and eyes respond logarithmically to loudness and brightness. Log base 10 is far from being common. Read More
e
The Exponential Constant
2.718281828459045235360287
e has mad influence in logarithms, architecture, business calculations, population growth, and much more. If you aren’t already a fan, he is sure to grow on you. Read More
pi
Archimedes' Constant
3.141592653589793238462643
Pi may be ancient, but the worldwide obsession is still alive. This mistress of circles is the subject of various books, movies, memory contests, and tests of computing power. Read More
F
Feigenbaum's Constant
4.669211660910299067185320
Feigenbaum’s constant describes the order found in chaos. So there IS method to the madness! Read More