Euler's constant
[′ȯi·lərz ¦kän·stənt] (mathematics)
The limit as n approaches infinity, of 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + ⋯ + 1/ n- ln n, equal to approximately 0.5772. Denoted γ. Also known as Mascheroni's constant.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Euler’s Constant
(or Mascheroni’s constant), the limit
which was considered by L. Euler in 1740. Euler gave a number of representations for C in the form of series and integrals; for example,
where ζ(s) is the zeta function. Euler’s constant is encountered in the theory of various classes of special functions, such as the gamma function. It remains unknown whether Euler’s constant is an irrational number.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.