Yes, we know all the nerds love to celebrate March 14th as ? Day (3/14 or 3.14). But that’s so passe! If you’re a real numbers geek, you’ll be celebrating today, 2/7 or 2.7, which is e Day, named after Euler’s Constant.
The real number (if you can call it that) is 2.71828182845904523536028747135266249775724709369995… It goes on. Forever. It can also be represented thusly:
In day-to-day life, we run into it most usually due to its part in the calculation of compound interest; it helps you figure out the results when you take interest over different periodic intervals. Good old Bernoulli also related it to probability theory. And any of us who had to take calculus and differential equations in college probably still have nightmares about it.
But one great way to fight those demons is to embrace them, and to celebrate the day that represents the number. So greet everyone you meet today with a “Happy e Day!” and then go make your mortgage payment.
Ken Denmead
Ken is a husband and father from the San Francisco Bay Area, where he works as civil engineer. He became the Publisher of GeekDad in 2007, and the owner in 2010. He also wrote the NYT bestselling GeekDad series of project books for parents and kids to share.
