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Why e - Ipi - 1
Why e - Ipi - 1
The equation e^-π = -1 is a famous mathematical result that relates three important
mathematical constants: e (Euler's number), π (pi), and -1 (the additive inverse of the
number one).
To understand why e^-π = -1, we need to use the complex number system, which
includes real numbers and imaginary numbers.
In the complex number system, an imaginary number is defined as the square root of a
negative number. For example, the imaginary unit i is defined as the square root of -1.
Now, we can use Euler's formula, which states that e^(ix) = cos(x) + i sin(x), where i is
the imaginary unit and x is any real number.
e^(-πi) = -1 + 0i
Now, we can use the fact that e^(-πi) is a complex number, which means it can be
written in the form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers.
If we equate the real parts and imaginary parts of e^(-πi) and -1 + 0i, we get:
a = -1 and b = 0
Therefore, e^(-πi) = -1 + 0i = -1