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Re:Have any long-suspected irrational numbers turned out to ... by 3JPLW on Tuesday September 16, 2014 @10:24AM (#8324595)
Given that the set of rationals is countable, and that the set of irrationals is uncountable, nearly "all" real numbers are irrational. In our experience, however, we mostly interact with rational numbers, and so irrational numbers seem to be the "strange" ones. But there are infinitely more of them! Were one able to devise a method to choose a real number at random, it'd be nearly impossible to ever get a rational number.

As such, it would indeed be extraordinary to have some non-trivial function transform an irrational number (or two, like e^pi) in an unexpected way into a rational number. I imagine most mathematicians would take a very lopsided bet that they're irrational.

Re:Have any long-suspected irrational numbers turned out to ... by Dove on Tuesday September 16, 2014 @11:25AM (#8324950)
This statement can actually be made stronger. Not only are the vast majority of real numbers irrational, they are transcendental[1] -- indescribable in algebraic terms. The numbers we can actually talk about and name are the countable algebraic numbers -- like the square root of two -- and a few transcendentals we know about. Not many. You could count them on your fingers and toes.

The rest of the reals -- and it is most of that vast sea -- are completely inaccessible, unnameable, forever anonymous.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendental_number

Re:Have any long-suspected irrational numbers turned out to ... by jsbgir on Tuesday September 16, 2014 @12:34PM (#8325375)
The set of transcendental but computable numbers is also countable, however: there is a countable number of algorithms. Therefore, the majority of the reals are uncomputable, like Chaintin's constant (the probability that a random algorithm halts). This can in turn be made stronger by noticing that the definition of Chaitin's constant is finite, and by the same argument, definable real numbers are countable. It follows that the majority of the reals are indefinable.
Re:Have any long-suspected irrational numbers turned out to ... by bashinator on Tuesday September 16, 2014 @02:32PM (#8326139)
Seems nicely analogous to "regular matter" vs dark matter and dark energy in the Universe.
Re:Have any long-suspected irrational numbers turned out to ... by gizmo686 on Tuesday September 16, 2014 @11:49AM (#8325073)
The problem is that number like e and pi are not random irrational numbers, they are very specific irrational numbers with very specific properties.