It is not known yet whether the number is irrational (that is, cannot be written as a fraction with an integer numerator and denominator) or transcendental (that is, cannot be the solution of a polynomial with integer coefficients). The numerical value of formula_1 is about formula_3. Italian mathematician Lorenzo Mascheroni also worked with the number, and tried unsuccessfully to approximate the number to 32 decimal places, making mistakes on five digits.