A
mathematical constant
A mathematical constant is a key number whose value is fixed by an unambiguous definition, often referred to by a symbol (e.g., an alphabet letter), or by mathematicians' names to facilitate using it across multiple mathematical problems. Cons ...
is a key
number whose value is fixed by an unambiguous definition, often referred to by a symbol (e.g., an
alphabet letter), or by mathematicians' names to facilitate using it across multiple
mathematical problem
A mathematical problem is a problem that can be represented, analyzed, and possibly solved, with the methods of mathematics. This can be a real-world problem, such as computing the orbits of the planets in the solar system, or a problem of a more ...
s. For example, the constant
Ï may be defined as the ratio of the length of a circle's
circumference to its
diameter. The following list includes a
decimal expansion and set containing each number, ordered by year of discovery.
The column headings may be clicked to sort the table alphabetically, by decimal value, or by set. Explanations of the symbols in the right hand column can be found by clicking on them.
List
{, class="wikitable sortable"
, -
! Name
! Symbol
! Decimal expansion
! Formula
! Year
! Set
, -
,
One
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, 1
, 1
,
, data-sort-value="-2000", Prehistory
, data-sort-value="1",
, -
,
Two
, 2
, 2
,
, data-sort-value="-2000", Prehistory
, data-sort-value="1",
, -
,
One half
One half ( : halves) is the irreducible fraction resulting from dividing one by two or the fraction resulting from dividing any number by its double. Multiplication by one half is equivalent to division by two, or "halving"; conversely, d ...
, 1/2
, data-sort-value="0.50000", 0.5
,
, data-sort-value="-2000", Prehistory
, data-sort-value="3",
, -
,
Pi
,
, 3.14159 26535 89793 23846
, Ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.
, data-sort-value="-1900", 1900 to 1600 BCE
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Square root of 2
The square root of 2 (approximately 1.4142) is a positive real number that, when multiplied by itself, equals the number 2. It may be written in mathematics as \sqrt or 2^, and is an algebraic number. Technically, it should be called the princip ...
,
Pythagoras constant.
,
, 1.41421 35623 73095 04880
, Positive root of
, data-sort-value="-1800",
1800 to 1600 BCE
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Square root of 3,
Theodorus' constant
,
, 1.73205 08075 68877 29352
, Positive root of
, data-sort-value="-465", 465 to 398 BCE
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Square root of 5
,
, 2.23606 79774 99789 69640
, Positive root of
, data-sort-value="-464",
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
, Phi,
Golden ratio
,
or
, 1.61803 39887 49894 84820
,
, data-sort-value="-301", ~300 BCE
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Silver ratio
,
, 2.41421 35623 73095 04880
,
, data-sort-value="-301", ~300 BCE
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Zero
, 0
, 0
,
, data-sort-value="-300", 300 to 100 BCE
, data-sort-value="2",
, -
,
Negative one
, â1
, â1
,
, data-sort-value="-300", 300 to 200 BCE
, data-sort-value="2",
, -
,
Cube root of 2
,
, 1.25992 10498 94873 16476
, Real root of
, 46 to 120 CE
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Cube root
In mathematics, a cube root of a number is a number such that . All nonzero real numbers, have exactly one real cube root and a pair of complex conjugate cube roots, and all nonzero complex numbers have three distinct complex cube roots. Fo ...
of 3
,
, 1.44224 95703 07408 38232
, Real root of
, data-sort-value="47",
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Twelfth root of 2
,
, 1.05946 30943 59295 26456
, Real root of
, data-sort-value="47",
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Supergolden ratio
,
, 1.46557 12318 76768 02665
,
Real root of
, data-sort-value="47",
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Imaginary unit
,
, data-sort-value="0",
, Either of the two roots of
, 1501 to 1576
, data-sort-value="8",
, -
,
Connective constant for the hexagonal lattice
,
, 1.84775 90650 22573 51225
,
, as a root of the polynomial
, 1593
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
KeplerâBouwkamp constant
,
, 0.11494 20448 53296 20070
,
, 1596
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Wallis's constant
,
, 2.09455 14815 42326 59148
,
Real root of
, 1616 to 1703
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Euler's number
,
, 2.71828 18284 59045 23536
,
, 1618
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Natural logarithm of 2 The decimal value of the natural logarithm of 2
is approximately
:\ln 2 \approx 0.693\,147\,180\,559\,945\,309\,417\,232\,121\,458.
The logarithm of 2 in other bases is obtained with the formula
:\log_b 2 = \frac.
The common logarithm in particu ...
,
, 0.69314 71805 59945 30941
, Real root of
, 1619 & 1668
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Lemniscate constant
,
, 2.62205 75542 92119 81046
,
where
is
Gauss's constant
In mathematics, the lemniscate constant p. 199 is a transcendental mathematical constant that is the ratio of the perimeter of Bernoulli's lemniscate to its diameter, analogous to the definition of for the circle. Equivalently, the perimete ...
, 1718 to 1798
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Euler's constant
,
, 0.57721 56649 01532 86060
,
, 1735
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
ErdĆsâBorwein constant The ErdĆsâBorwein constant is the sum of the Reciprocal (mathematics), reciprocals of the Mersenne prime, Mersenne numbers. It is named after Paul ErdĆs and Peter Borwein.
By definition it is:
:E=\sum_^\frac\approx1.606695152415291763\dots
Eq ...
,
, 1.60669 51524 15291 76378
,
, 1749
, data-sort-value="6",
, -
,
Omega constant
The omega constant is a mathematical constant defined as the unique real number that satisfies the equation
:\Omega e^\Omega = 1.
It is the value of , where is Lambert's function. The name is derived from the alternate name for Lambert's fu ...
,
, 0.56714 32904 09783 87299
,
where W is the
Lambert W function
, 1758 & 1783
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Apéry's constant
,
, 1.20205 69031 59594 28539
,
, 1780
, data-sort-value="6",
, -
,
Laplace limit
,
, 0.66274 34193 49181 58097
, Real root of
, data-sort-value="1782", ~1782
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
RamanujanâSoldner constant
In mathematics, the RamanujanâSoldner constant (also called the Soldner constant) is a mathematical constant defined as the unique positive zero of the logarithmic integral function. It is named after Srinivasa Ramanujan and Johann Georg von Sol ...
,
, 1.45136 92348 83381 05028
,
; root of the
logarithmic integral function.
, 1792
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Gauss's constant
In mathematics, the lemniscate constant p. 199 is a transcendental mathematical constant that is the ratio of the perimeter of Bernoulli's lemniscate to its diameter, analogous to the definition of for the circle. Equivalently, the perimete ...
,
, 0.83462 68416 74073 18628
,
where ''agm'' is the
arithmeticâgeometric mean
, 1799
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
, Second
Hermite constant
,
, 1.15470 05383 79251 52901
,
, 1822 to 1901
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Liouville's constant
In number theory, a Liouville number is a real number ''x'' with the property that, for every positive integer ''n'', there exists a pair of integers (''p, q'') with ''q'' > 1 such that
:0 1 + \log_2(d) ~) no pair of integers ~(\,p,\,q\,)~ exists ...
,
, 0.11000 10000 00000 00000 0001
,
, data-sort-value="1844", Before 1844
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
, First
continued fraction constant
,
, 0.69777 46579 64007 98201
,
, where
is the
modified Bessel function
, 1855
, data-sort-value="6",
, -
,
Ramanujan's constant
,
, 262 53741 26407 68743
.99999 99999 99250 073
,
, 1859
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
GlaisherâKinkelin constant
,
, 1.28242 71291 00622 63687
,
, 1860
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Catalan's constant
,
, 0.91596 55941 77219 01505
,
, 1864
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Dottie number
,
, 0.73908 51332 15160 64165
, Real root of
, 1865
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
MeisselâMertens constant
,
, 0.26149 72128 47642 78375
,
where ''Îł'' is the
EulerâMascheroni constant and ''p'' is prime
, 1866 & 1873
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Universal parabolic constant
,
, 2.29558 71493 92638 07403
,
, data-sort-value="1891", Before 1891
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Cahen's constant In mathematics, Cahen's constant is defined as the value of an infinite series of unit fractions with alternating signs:
:C = \sum_^\infty \frac=\frac11 - \frac12 + \frac16 - \frac1 + \frac1 - \cdots\approx 0.64341054629.
Here (s_i)_ denotes Sylves ...
,
, 0.64341 05462 88338 02618
,
where ''s
k'' is the ''k''th term of ''
Sylvester's sequence'' 2, 3, 7, 43, 1807, ...
, 1891
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Gelfond's constant
,
, 23.14069 26327 79269 0057
,
, 1900
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
GelfondâSchneider constant
The GelfondâSchneider constant or Hilbert number is two to the power of the square root of two:
:2 = ...
which was proved to be a transcendental number by Rodion Kuzmin in 1930.
In 1934, Aleksandr Gelfond and Theodor Schneider independently prov ...
,
, 2.66514 41426 90225 18865
,
, data-sort-value="1902", Before 1902
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
, Second
Favard constant In mathematics, the Favard constant, also called the Akhiezer–Krein–Favard constant, of order ''r'' is defined as
:K_r = \frac \sum\limits_^ \left \frac \right.
This constant is named after the French mathematician Jean Favard, and a ...
,
, 1.23370 05501 36169 82735
,
, 1902 to 1965
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Golden angle
In geometry, the golden angle is the smaller of the two angles created by sectioning the circumference of a circle according to the golden ratio; that is, into two arcs such that the ratio of the length of the smaller arc to the length of the l ...
,
, 2.39996 32297 28653 32223
,
or
in degrees
, 1907
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
SierpiĆski's constant
SierpiĆski's constant is a mathematical constant usually denoted as ''K''. One way of defining it is as the following limit:
:K=\lim_\left sum_^ - \pi\ln n\right/math>
where ''r''2(''k'') is a number of representations of ''k'' as a sum of the ...
,
, 2.58498 17595 79253 21706
,
, 1907
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
LandauâRamanujan constant
,
, 0.76422 36535 89220 66299
,
, 1908
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
, First
Nielsenâ
Ramanujan constant
,
, 0.82246 70334 24113 21823
,
, 1909
, data-sort-value="5",
, -
,
Gieseking constant
,
, 1.01494 16064 09653 62502
,
.
, 1912
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Bernstein's constant
,
, 0.28016 94990 23869 13303
,
, where ''E''
''n''(f) is the error of the best
uniform approximation to a
real function ''f''(''x'') on the interval
minus;1, 1by real polynomials of no more than degree ''n'', and ''f''(''x''
) = , ''x''
,
, 1913
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Tribonacci constant In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers form a sequence defined recursively by:
:F_n =
\begin
0 & n = 0 \\
1 & n = 1 \\
F_ + F_ & n > 1
\end
That is, after two starting values, each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers.
The Fibonacci seque ...
,
, 1.83928 67552 14161 13255
,
Real root of
, 1914 to 1963
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Brun's constant
,
, 1.90216 05831 04
,
where the sum ranges over all primes ''p'' such that ''p'' + 2 is also a prime
, 1919
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Twin primes constant
,
, 0.66016 18158 46869 57392
,
, 1922
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Plastic number
,
, 1.32471 79572 44746 02596
,
Real root of
, 1924
, data-sort-value="4",
, -
,
Bloch's constant
In complex analysis, a branch of mathematics, Bloch's theorem describes the behaviour of holomorphic functions defined on the unit disk. It gives a lower bound on the size of a disk in which an inverse to a holomorphic function exists. It is named ...
,
, data-sort-value=0.43320,
, The best known bounds are
, 1925
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Z score for the 97.5 percentile point
,
, 1.95996 39845 40054 23552
,
where is the
inverse error function
In mathematics, the error function (also called the Gauss error function), often denoted by , is a complex function of a complex variable defined as:
:\operatorname z = \frac\int_0^z e^\,\mathrm dt.
This integral is a special function, speci ...
Real number
such that
, 1925
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Landau's constant
,
, data-sort-value=0.50000,
, The best known bounds are
, 1929
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
Landau's third constant
,
, data-sort-value=0.50000,
,
, 1929
, data-sort-value="7",
, -
,
ProuhetâThueâMorse constant
,
, 0.41245 40336 40107 59778
,