Lindemann proves pi is transcendental
- When
- 1882
- Where
- Mathematische Annalen
- Episodes
- 1
Ferdinand von Lindemann, a German mathematician, published his proof of the transcendence of pi in 1882. This work confirmed a conjecture by Legendre and Euler, establishing that pi is not a root of any nonzero polynomial with rational coefficients. The proof was developed during his time in Freiburg and published in Mathematische Annalen.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Before Lindemann's work, Johann Heinrich Lambert had demonstrated that pi was irrational in 1768. The transcendence of pi was a long-standing conjecture attributed to both Legendre and Euler. Lindemann's 1882 publication provided the definitive proof that pi is transcendental, meaning it cannot be the root of any nonzero polynomial with rational coefficients.
Publication Details. Lindemann published his result in 1882 in the journal Mathematische Annalen, volume 20, pages 213–225. The specific article was titled "Über die Zahl π". This publication is the primary source for the proof, which is often associated with the Lindemann–Weierstrass theorem.
People involved
- Ferdinand von Lindemann · Mathematician
- Johann Heinrich Lambert · Mathematician
- Legendre · Mathematician
- Euler · Mathematician
Sources
- Pi Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21
- Ferdinand von Lindemann Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-07
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