Some may say its the number 1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/rams/further5_20050823.ram

others may say its 2, 6, 6.67 x 10^-11 or even 1729

Find out all here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/further5.shtml

[programme 1 broadcast today]

Now I know how to fiddle my expenses and not get caught :hihi:

no man, it's zero.... without that no tens and units, no using two figures for big numbers, and no binaries hence no computers and no sheffield forum!:D

I like 1.618 (aka phi) and 3.14 (aka pi) and 2.71 (aka 'e').

But I've always been a bit irrational.

Nomme

Any number greater than one:|

I think that it was a great programme to listen to.

....... but please give people a clue whether they are going to be linked to a webpage (as is normal) or are going to be expected to download something to be heard or seen.

cgk :)

My favourite number i, which if I remember correctly is the square root of minus 1.
Although I stand to be corrected.
Its something to do with polar/rectangular conversions.
IIRC. (thats: If I Remember Correctly MTheo).

My credit card bill seems to be the geatest number I have come across:rolleyes:

Originally posted by SHarper
My favourite number i, which if I remember correctly is the square root of minus 1.
Although I stand to be corrected.
Its something to do with polar/rectangular conversions.
IIRC. (thats: If I Remember Correctly MTheo).

It's the definition of an imaginary unit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_unit

It allows you to all manner of crazy maths things. Just thinking about it makes me want to have a little lie down.

Nomme

My PIN number is very important! Without it I'd be rendered useless and fairly stuck and embarrassed in certain situations.

Fourteen is probably mine.

Originally posted by Classic Rock
My PIN number is very important! Without it I'd be rendered useless and fairly stuck and embarrassed in certain situations.

So whats your pin number ? please share with us :heyhey:

That girl's phone number. :thumbsup:

Wilf

1.6180339887

The golden rule

Think of any two numbers. Make a third by adding the first and second, a fourth by adding the second and third, and so on. When you have written down about 20 numbers, calculate the ratio of the last to the second from last. The answer should be close to 1.6180339887...
What's the significance of this number? It's the "golden ratio" and, arguably, it crops up in more places in art, music and so on than any number except pi. Claude Debussy used it explicitly in his music and Le Corbusier in his architecture. There are claims the number was used by Leonardo da Vinci in the painting of the Mona Lisa, by the Greeks in building the Parthenon and by ancient Egyptians in the construction of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.

What makes the golden ratio special is the number of mathematical properties it possesses. The golden ratio is the only number whose square can be produced simply by adding 1 and whose reciprocal by subtracting 1. If you take a golden rectangle - one whose length-to-breadth is in the golden ratio - and snip out a square, what remains is another, smaller golden rectangle. The golden ratio is also difficult to pin down: it's the most difficult to express as any kind of fraction and its digits - 10 million of which were computed in 1996 - never repeat.

No 1, - just look after it ;)

nomme and sharper have it with φ (phi)I believe.

It's great for designing web pages in proportion too!

Greatest number?
Has to be 60, cos that's the age when I retire.
:clap:

Originally posted by PhilipB
Greatest number?
Has to be 60, cos that's the age when I retire.
:clap:

Yup good number.. My fave is uh... 578923578912322020792437892102143893 Because its a bugger to say!

I seem to remember that

e^(i.pi) = -1.

Firstly, can anyone remind me what e is

Secondly, is the above true?

I would say the most important number is sixty nine.