# Mathematical Wizardry

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematical-wizardry/136838>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2002, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematical-wizardry/136838 "2002-11-15T07:49:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematical-wizardry/136838/41 "2002-11-18T18:44:40Z")

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Also, while the limit that **LifeWillFall** can be used as a definition, it’s not.

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematical-wizardry/136838/42 "2002-11-18T18:55:04Z")

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I learned “e” rather torturously. First, demonstrate that the indefinite integral of 1/x from 1 to (whatever) has all the rules of a logarithm. Define exp(x) and the inverse of the integral function. Do other messing around with it and find the incredible power of the number e. We spent a long time messing with the natural log and the natural exponential function in my calc class. I loved every stinkin’ minute of it.

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**Author:** ![KeeblerElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KeeblerElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeeblerElf)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mathematical-wizardry/136838/43 "2002-11-19T03:06:31Z")

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Achernar, your proof is the same as his. I don’t really understand how it works, maybe its beyond me at the present moment…

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