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transcendental number
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transcendental number

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transcendental number, number that is not algebraic, in the sense that it is not the solution of an algebraic equation with rational-number coefficients. Transcendental numbers are irrational, but not all irrational numbers are transcendental. For example, x2 – 2 = 0 has the solutions x = ±Square root of√2; thus, Square root of√2, an irrational number, is an algebraic number and not transcendental. Nearly all real and complex numbers are transcendental, but very few numbers have been proven to be transcendental. The numbers e and π are transcendental numbers.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.