Eli5, How was number e discovered?
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e is defined as the limit n –> infinity of (1+1/n)^n , which is a pretty useful number to know when you’re doing calculus and higher maths. The simplest answer is that the definition integrating things frequently involves taking limits to infinity, so knowing that the expression above converges to a constant makes doing that math much simpler and more precise.
The derivative of y = e^x is e^x, meaning the slope of the function is the same as the answer to the function. This is a very useful property when solving first and second order differential equations because it allows us to build answers off of e^x.
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