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        riddles >> general problem-solving / chatting / whatever >> First to show pi is irrational
        
(Message started by: kbob on Aug 25^th, 2005, 11:06am)

Title: First to show pi is irrational
Post by kbob on Aug 25^th, 2005, 11:06am

Who was the first mathematician to show that pi is irrational?

Title: Re: First to show pi is irrational
Post by JocK on Aug 25^th, 2005, 11:41am

J.H. Lambert (in 1768)

(Lambert proved that if x is rational then tan(x) must be irrational. It follows that pi/4 (and hence pi) must be irrational. Later - in 1794 - Legendre found another proof that also established the irrationality of pi². Following Lambert's proof, it took more than a century (till 1882) before Von Lindemann succeeded to prove that pi is a transcendental number )