Irrational number number to ratios of continuous magnitude. In his commentary on Book 10 of the "Elements", the Persian mathematician Al-Mahani (d. 874/884) examined and classified quadratic irrationals and cubic irrationals. He provided definitions for rational and irrational magnitudes, which he treated as irrational numbers. He dealt with them freely but explains them in geometric terms as follows: In contrast to Euclid's concept of magnitudes as lines, Al-Mahani considered integers and fractions as rational magnitudes, and square roots and cube roots as irrational magnitudes. He also introduced an arithmetical approach to the concept of irrationality, as he attributes the following to irrational
Proof that e is irrational 1. For all terms with we have the upper estimate This inequality is strict for every "n" ≥ "b" + 2. Changing the index of summation to "k" = "n" – "b" and using the formula for the infinite geometric series, we obtain Since there is no integer strictly between 0 and 1, we have reached a contradiction, and so "e" must be irrational. Q.E.D. Another proof can be obtained from the previous one by noting that and this inequality is equivalent to the assertion that "bx" < 1. This is impossible, of course, since "b" and "x" are natural