Special Constants in Mathematica

This small demo helps illustrate how to use mathematical constants in formulas and equations.

A couple of constants we will run across this semester are π and e.  Remember that π is the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter for any given fixed radius.  As for e, this appears in compound interest formulas, exponential growth and decay models, and much more.  You should have run across π in the Chapter P homework.

You can literally just type in the name “Pi”, be sure the P is capitalized.

Pi

To create the cool π symbol, whether in input mode or text mode, simply press escape, then type pi, then press escape.

π

π

π

N[Pi]

N[π]

N[π,10]

N[π,1000]

N[Pi]

For the constant e, there are three options!  However, I would suggest using one of the first two.  Similar to π, you can simply press escape, then ee twice, the escape again.  A much easier solution is to use the capital letter E.  There is also the Exp[ ] function, which is mainly used if you want to talk about exponential functions, such as y(x) = (e^(2x-1)).

E

(E^1)

N[%]

(E^2)

N[%]

N[%%,100]

E

N[%]

(E^1)

N[%]

(E^2)

N[%]

N[%%,100]

Exp[1]

N[%]

Exp[1.0]

Exp[x+1]

I

I^2

(I^2)

E^(I*π)

Pi^2.0

N[(π^2)]

(π^2)

Pi^2