The discovery of pi's irrationality was a groundbreaking moment in mathematics from "summary" of A History of [pi] (pi) by Petr Beckmann
The revelation that pi is irrational marked a pivotal turning point in the realm of mathematics. This discovery shattered long-held beliefs and forced mathematicians to reconsider their fundamental understanding of numbers. The implications of pi's irrationality were far-reaching, challenging the very core of mathematical thought and opening up new avenues for exploration and discovery. Prior to this groundbreaking revelation, pi was widely assumed to be a simple, rational number. The concept of irrational numbers was still a relatively new and controversial idea, with many mathematicians clinging to the notion that all numbers could be expressed as fractions. The discovery of pi's irrationality shattered this illusion and forced mathematicians to confront the existence of numbers that could not be neatly captured by simple ratios. The proof o...
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