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

pi
Archimedes' Constant
before 1800BC
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
Root 2
The First Surd
800-200BC
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
582-507BC
Appearing everywhere from the Parthenon to Penrose tilings to pinecones, pansies, and pineapples, the golden ratio pervades nature, art, and architecture. Read More
log_e 2
The Natural Logarithm
1614
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
1/log e
The Common Logarithm
1614
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
1618
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
Zeta 3
Apéry’s Constant
1650-1750
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
Gamma
Euler's Constant
1735
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
h
Planck's Constant
1899
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
M3
Madelung's Constant
early 20th century
How much energy would you need to break apart a single crystal of salt? Madelung’s constant holds the key! Read More
Omega
Chaitin's Binary Constant
1975
A modern computational probability that has broad implications about the complexity of the universe. Read More
F
Feigenbaum's Constant
1975
Feigenbaum’s constant describes the order found in chaos. So there IS method to the madness! Read More