e-Day

Categories:: Special Interest
Tags:: Appreciation Educational
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every February 7
Holiday emoji:: 🔢

e-Day celebrates the mathematical constant ‘e’ every February 7. This day invites enthusiasts to explore its fascinating properties and applications. Dive into the world of logarithms, exponential growth, and calculus, or simply appreciate the beauty of numbers.

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Expected e-Day Deals

While specific e-Day promotions are rare, expect retailers like Texas Instruments and Casio to offer discounts on graphing calculators and scientific models, perfect for students and professionals. Online learning platforms such as Coursera and edX may feature special bundles on math and science courses. Tech stores like Best Buy might highlight deals on computers and software used in scientific computing. Look for educational toy brands like Learning Resources to promote math-themed games. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as February 7 approaches.

Platform Guide for e-Day

TikTok

Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #eDay. Create short, engaging videos explaining ‘e’ in simple terms or showcasing fun math tricks.

X/Twitter

Mention @NatlToday and use #eDay. Share interesting facts about Euler’s number, challenge followers with math puzzles, or discuss its real-world applications.

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #eDay. Post visually appealing graphics with ‘e’ facts, share photos of math in nature, or highlight famous mathematicians.

e-Day Hero

Leonhard Euler

Leonhard Euler (1707–1783) was a pioneering Swiss mathematician and physicist, widely considered one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and notation, including the use of the Greek letter pi for the Archimedes constant and the letter 'e' for the base of the natural logarithm, now known as Euler's number. His work laid foundations in calculus, graph theory, mechanics, and astronomy, profoundly shaping modern mathematics.

History of e-Day

This complex algebraic riddle has been toyed with for over 400 years but has only fully been understood and defined for about 300. It first appeared in 1618 as a vague reference in the papers of Scottish mathematician John Napier. In a roundabout way, Napier hinted at the potential for a recurring constant by sharing a number of logarithms that he had solved using the number yet, infuriating many of his readers, he did not share the number itself.

Later, in 1683, Jacob Bernoulli was officially credited for unveiling the analytical gem when he attempted to find the answer to a generic logarithmic expression, the answer to which was — you guessed it — e. For a brief time, followers of Bernoulli obscurely named the number b in their frequent correspondence. That was until Leonhard Euler ascribed the first letter of his surname to the constant and definitively named it the base of all logarithmic expressions in 1731. To this day, the constant is called e in remembrance of Euler.

While e-Day cannot be traced back to any particular calculus enthusiast and we aren’t quite sure how long it’s been celebrated, we can understand the logic behind assigning this weight-bearing numeral to its digit twin. In 2018, a University of Portland student realized that the numeric date was 2/7/18, which also happens to be the first four digits of the beloved constant. Analytical minds all over the world were smugly pleased by this observation and constant e was perhaps more celebrated than ever before as many math-inclined minds discussed the coincidental alignment of such a calendar match-up. If you too want to join the fraternity of mathematicians, head to Scholaroo for a list of mathematics scholarships.

e-Day timeline

1618

Beating Around the Bush

While working with logarithms and exponents at the height of his career, John Napier unwittingly uses constant e to solve a series of equations.

1683

Meeting of Chance

While calculating a problem about continuous interest, Jacob Bernoulli discovers the recurring numerical constant 2.7182818, or e.

1731

Line in the Sand

After much back and forth for over a century, Leonhard Euler names e the basis for all logarithmic functions.

2018

Numeric Irony

Sending many math majors into a tizzy, Aziz Inan of the University of Portland recognizes a ‘double consecutive e-day’ on 2/7/18.

How Businesses Can Celebrate e-Day

Local businesses can celebrate e-Day by hosting math-themed trivia nights or offering discounts to customers who can answer a math question involving ‘e’. Bookstores can create displays of math and science books, while coffee shops might offer ‘exponential’ deals on certain drinks. Educational centers can run special workshops on calculus or logarithms, engaging the community with the beauty of mathematics. Consider partnering with local schools to promote STEM education.

e-Day FAQs

When is e-Day?

In 2027, e-Day will be observed on Monday, February 7. It’s a perfect opportunity to kick off the week by delving into the fascinating world of exponential functions and natural logarithms.

What is Euler's number 'e'?

Often called the natural base, ‘e’ is fundamental to understanding continuous growth processes. It’s a transcendental number, meaning it cannot be the root of any non-zero polynomial equation with rational coefficients, similar to pi.

How is 'e' used in real life?

Beyond academic fields, ‘e’ helps describe natural phenomena like the shape of a hanging chain (catenary curve), the distribution of prime numbers, and even the efficiency of certain algorithms. Its omnipresence highlights its importance in the natural world.

What is the difference between 'e' and pi?

While pi describes geometric relationships, ‘e’ is central to calculus and the study of change. Both are foundational constants, but they govern different aspects of mathematics and the physical world, with ‘e’ appearing in growth rates and pi in rotational dynamics.

How to Celebrate e-Day

Sharpen your mind
For many of us in the adult world, it’s been ages since we sat down to solve an algebra or calculus problem. In a show of celebration this e-Day, take a seat at your desk and hone your rusty skills by calculating a logarithmic equation using the constant e.
Memorize the digits
We can all remember that one peer from school who knew 100 digits of the constant number pi. Give e a little love this holiday by memorizing its digits as far out as you’re able to. This will be a wonderful game to play with children or a good-hearted competition to engage in with friends. Who can memorize the most?
Donate a calculator
If there’s anything the ancestors of e would want, it’s more people falling in love with the clean lines and organization of mathematics. High-powered calculators are fairly expensive and not every student in your area will be able to afford one. Consider donating a calculator so that another person can relish in the puzzle of e.

5 Facts About STEM Field Workers That Will Puzzle The Mind

Fat checks
Those who graduate with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (i.e. STEM) earn 26% more on average than their equally educated counterparts.
Gender disparity
Only about 25% of STEM workers are female.
Not just engineers
All medical fields, including nursing, surgery, and physical and occupational therapies fall under the STEM umbrella.
Uneven distribution
While some areas of STEM such as medicine and technology are experiencing a saturation of qualified candidates, others such as nuclear engineering are experiencing a severe lack of potential new hires.
Early exposure
According to childhood development professionals, the best way to encourage a STEM interest in children is to include them in cooking, building, and grocery shopping (i.e. money management).

Why we Love e-Day

An overlooked number gets recognition.
To mathematicians, e is an old friend. But to the rest of the world, e is the overlooked sibling of the much more extroverted and mainstream pi. By celebrating e once a year, we can finally give this constant the love and recognition it deserves.
It’s a great reminder to sharpen our skills.
To be honest, it’s been ages since we’ve picked up a calculator for anything other than addition and subtraction. Celebrating e gives us a reason to revisit those skills we learned so long ago in high school and college. Gotta keep the mind nice and sharp!
Math determines much of life.
Those of us who are not in the STEM field might make the mistake of thinking that such nuanced information doesn’t apply to us, but it most certainly does. On e-Day each year, we remember how vitally important the ancient study of mathematics has been to our civilization. Without it, our bridges wouldn’t hold steady, our interest rates would make no sense, and our grocery bills would be entirely unpredictable.