Mike Lyle writes

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
e to the power i (pie) = -1 where i = sqrt -1
Euler's Idenity. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%27s_identity

Extraordinary, linking five of the most fundamental numbers in maths,
but a proof of God? Can't see it myself. It might just be a proof
that mathematics is an unbounded, closed, non-involute manifold.
(except it isn't)

The astonishing thing is that two of the numbers are transcendental,
and two are integers.

Agreed. It was the religious mathematicians that claimed "A God" thingy, or
was it the Theoretical chemists:-)

I just love it when people do this: makes me feel I'm mixing with the
intellectual aristocracy. Some of the Americans in alt.usage.english
are awe-inspiring with number theory and such-like: why wasn't I taught
real maths as a kid?

It's sad. Unfortunately 'sums' and arithmetic are of more immediate use
in counting your change and reading bus timetables, so that is what is
taught. GCSE does have more interesting topics than O-level (now we no
longer have to be adept in multi-base arithmetic (counting in 4s, 12s
and 20s in the same sum for example) and can use logarithms sensibly
instead of as an aid to multiplication). But it's A-level where things
start to become interesting (and easier, being application of concepts
rather than rote learning) and degree level even more so. Then when you
reach my age, you've forgotten the lot and just have a memory of
something beautiful that you once knew ;-)
--
Kay