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Questions tagged [irrational-numbers]

Questions about real numbers not expressible as the quotient of two integers. For questions on determining whether a number is irrational, use the (rationality-testing) tag instead.

An irrational number is a real number that cannot be expressed as a quotient of two integers, i.e. cannot be expressed in the form $\dfrac{a}{b}$, with $a,b\in\mathbb{Z}$. We write $\mathbb{I}=\mathbb{R}\setminus\mathbb{Q}$.

Some examples of irrational numbers are $\sqrt{2}, e, \pi$ and $\zeta(3)$.

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Is an irrational number odd or even?

My sister just asked this question to me: "Is an irrational number odd or even?" I told her that decimals are not odd or even and that does imply that not recurring and non repeating decimals will also not be odd or even. But I want a rigorous math…
user210387
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Is there a rational number between any two irrationals?

Suppose $i_1$ and $i_2$ are distinct irrational numbers with $i_1 < i_2$. Is it necessarily the case that there is a rational number $r$ in the interval $[i_1, i_2]$? How would you construct such a rational number? [I posted this only so that the…
MJD
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Designing an Irrational Numbers Wall Clock

A friend sent me a link to this item today, which is billed as an "Irrational Numbers Wall Clock." There is at least one possible mistake in it, as it is not known whether $\gamma$ is irrational. Anyway, this started me wondering about how to…
Mike Spivey
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Why is $\pi$ irrational if it is represented as $C/D$?

$\pi$ can be represented as $C/D$, and $C/D$ is a fraction, and the definition of an irrational number is that it cannot be represented as a fraction. Then why is $\pi$ an irrational number?
Sam
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Proving Irrationality

How is it possible to prove a number is irrational? First part of that question: How it possible to know that a number will go on infinitely? Second part: How is it possible to know that no repetition will occur during the infinite sequence of…
Peter
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irrationality of $\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}}$.

The fact that there exists irrational number $a,b$ such that $a^b$ is rational is proved by the law of excluded middle, but I read somewhere that irrationality of $\sqrt{2}^{\sqrt{2}}$ is proved constructively. Do you know the proof?
user53216
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Show that $e^{\sqrt 2}$ is irrational

I'm trying to prove that $e^{\sqrt 2}$ is irrational. My approach: $$ e^{\sqrt 2}+e^{-\sqrt 2}=2\sum_{k=0}^{\infty}\frac{2^k}{(2k)!}=:2s $$ Define $s_n:=\sum_{k=0}^{n}\frac{2^k}{(2k)!}$,…
Redundant Aunt
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Rational + irrational = always irrational?

I had a little back and forth with my logic professor earlier today about proving a number is irrational. I proposed that 1 + an irrational number is always irrational, thus if I could prove that 1 + irrational number is irrational, then it stood to…
gator
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Can $\sqrt{n} + \sqrt{m}$ be rational if neither $n,m$ are perfect squares?

Can the expression $\sqrt{n} + \sqrt{m}$ be rational if neither $n,m \in \mathbb{N}$ are perfect squares? It doesn't seem likely, the only way that could happen is if for example $\sqrt{m} = a-\sqrt{n}, \ \ a \in \mathbb{Q}$, which I don't think is…
Spine Feast
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Is there a sufficiently reachable plausibility argument that $\pi$ is irrational?

I was teaching someone earlier today (precisely, a twelve-year-old) and we came upon a problem on circles. Little did I know in what direction it would lead. I was able to give a quick plausibility argument that all circles are similar and that they…
Allawonder
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Multiples of an irrational number forming a dense subset

Say you picked your favorite irrational number $q$ and looking at $S = \{nq: n\in \mathbb{Z} \}$ in $\mathbb{R}$, you chopped off everything but the decimal of $nq$, leaving you with a number in $[0,1]$. Is this new set dense in $[0,1]$? If so,…
MGN
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What is the role of mathematical intuition and common sense in questions of irrationality or transcendence of values of special functions?

I got the number $$\frac{\Gamma\left(\frac{1}{5}\right)\Gamma\left(\frac{4}{15}\right)}{\Gamma\left(\frac{1}{3}\right)\Gamma\left(\frac{2}{15}\right)}=0.824326275998351470388591998726842...$$ in the process of some quite long calculations that are…
Piotr Shatalin
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Is sin(x) necessarily irrational where x is rational?

My friend and I were discussing this and we couldn't figure out how to prove it one way or another. The only rational values I can figure out for $\sin(x)$ (or $\cos(x)$, etc...) come about when $x$ is some product of a fraction of $\pi$. Is…
Queequeg
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Is it possible to represent every irrational number as a (limit of) an infinite sum of rational numbers?

For instance, we can certainly represent π in this fashion. $$ \frac{\pi}{4} \;=\; \sum_{n=0}^\infty \, \frac{(-1)^n}{2n+1} .\! $$ $\ln(2)$ is also irrational. And even that can be represented as an infinite sum of a sequence of rational…
shreedhar
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Is $\ln(\ln(n))$ irrational for any integer $n>1$?

Is there $n\in \mathbb{N}$ such that $\ln(\ln(n)) \in \mathbb{Q}$? If such $n$ exists, we will get $$\ln(\ln(n)) = \frac{p}{q}, \quad p, q \in \mathbb{Z}.$$ Hence we will get $n = e^{e^{p/q}},$ where the question about the nature of $e^{e^{p/q}}$…
A. PI
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