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> The best known example of a pure number [...] hc/2πe2 [...] leave[s] a pure number, 137.03599913. This surprises me. I would have thought pi, the ratio of an
by chias 11y ago
> The best known example of a pure number [...] hc/2πe2 [...] leave[s] a pure number, 137.03599913.
This surprises me. I would have thought pi, the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter, is a much better known example of a pure number.
- duaneb 11y agoPi is not a fundamental physical constant and has myriad uses. α is only special when observing that it is a physical constant; you need to observe the physical universe to arrive at the conclusion that it's a meaningful number.
- chias 11y agoThank you for this explanation. The distinction was not clear to me after reading the article, but your comment makes a lot of sense.
- spodek 11y ago> This surprises me. I would have thought pi, the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter, is a much better known example of a pure number. Everyone is so fancy. One, two, three, and even zero are pretty well known, even outside physics.