Re: [HM] exp(pi)

John Conway (conway@math.Princeton.EDU)
Tue, 16 Feb 1999 14:43:47 -0500 (EST)

On Tue, 16 Feb 1999, Jorge Vargas wrote:

> I have heard that somebody has proven that exp(pi)= e^{\pi} is
> irrational. Please, I would like to know a reference for it.

This follows from the famous theorem of Gelfond and Schneider
that if a and b are algebraic irrationals then a^b is transcendental.

The reason is that one of the values of i^i is exp(-pi), and i
is an algebraic irrational.

John Conway