PlanetMath (more info)
 Math for the people, by the people. Sponsor PlanetMath
Encyclopedia | Requests | Forums | Docs | Wiki | Random | RSS  
Login
create new user
name:
pass:
forget your password?
Main Menu
Owner confidence rating: Very high Entry average rating: No information on entry rating
[parent] $\pi$ and $\pi^2$ are irrational (Theorem)
Theorem 1   $\pi$ and $\pi^2$ are irrational.
Proof. For any strictly positive integer $n$ ,$x\in (0,1)$ we define: $$f=f(x)=\frac{x^n(1-x)^n}{n!}=\frac{1}{n!}\sum_{m=n}^{2n}c_mx^m$$ where $c_m$ are integers. For $0<x<1$ we have

\begin{equation} \label{firseq} 0<f(x)<\frac{1}{n!} \end{equation} For a contradiction, suppose $\pi^2$ is rational, so that $\pi^2=\frac{a}{b}$ , where $a,b$ are positive integers.

For $x\in (0,1)$ let us define $$G(x)=b^n[\pi^{2n}f(x)-\pi^{2n-2}f''(x)+\pi^{2n-4}f^{(4)}(x)-...+(-1)^nf^{(2n)}(x)].$$ We have that $f(0)=0$ and $f^{(m)}(0)=0$ if $m<n$ or $m>2n$ . But, if $n \leq m \leq 2n$ , then $$f^{(m)}(0)=\frac{m!}{n!}c_m,$$ an integer. Hence $f(x)$ and all its derivates take integral values at $x=0$ .Since $f(1-x)=f(x)$ , the same is true at $x=1$

so that $G(0)$ and $G(1)$ are integers. We have

\begin{eqnarray*} \frac{d}{dx}[G'(x)\sin{\pi x}-\pi G(x)\cos{\pi x}] &=& [G''(x)+\pi^2G(x)]\sin{\pi x} \\ &=& b^n\pi^{2n+2}f(x)\sin{\pi x} \\ &=& \pi^2a^n \sin{\pi x}f(x). \end{eqnarray*} Hence $$\pi\int_0^1a^n \sin{\pi x}f(x)dx=[\frac{G'(x)\sin{\pi x}}{\pi}-G(x)\cos{\pi x}]_0^1$$ $$=G(0)+G(1),$$ witch is an integer. But by equation [*], $$0<\pi\int_0^1a^n \sin{\pi x}f(x)dx<\frac{\pi a^n}{n!}<1.$$ For a large enough $n$ , we obtain a contradiction.

For any integer $n$ , if $a^n$ is irrational then a is irrational (proof), and since $\pi^2$ is irrational $\sqrt{\pi^2}=\pi$ is also irrational. $ \qedsymbol$

The irrationality of $\pi$ was Proved by Lambert in 1761. The above proof is not the original proof due to Lambert.

Bibliography

1
G.H.Hardy and E.M.Wright An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers, Oxford University Press, 1959

See also




"$\pi$ and $\pi^2$ are irrational" is owned by mathcam. [ full author list (2) | owner history (1) ]
(view preamble | get metadata)

View style:


This object's parent.
Log in to rate this entry.
(view current ratings)

Cross-references: proof, equation, integral, rational, contradiction, integer, positive, strictly, irrational
There is 1 reference to this entry.

This is version 12 of $\pi$ and $\pi^2$ are irrational, born on 2004-10-13, modified 2008-01-10.
Object id is 6365, canonical name is PiAndPi2AreIrrational.
Accessed 4296 times total.

Classification:
AMS MSC11-00 (Number theory :: General reference works )
 51-00 (Geometry :: General reference works )

Pending Errata and Addenda
None.
[ View all 10 ]
Discussion
Style: Expand: Order:
forum policy
$\pi$ and $\pi^2$ are irrational by perucho on 2004-10-14 04:47:03

In general,
$\cos{x} \neq \pi\cos{\pix}$
and
$\sin{x} \neq \sin{\pix}$
[ reply | up ]
\pi is irrational by Gunnar on 2004-10-13 10:38:28
To make it clearer that \pi is irrational because \pi^2 is irrational, have a look at http://planetmath.org/?op=getobj&from=objects&id=5779
[ reply | up ]

Interact
post | correct | update request | prove | add result | add corollary | add example | add (any)