[eliben]

Calculus 101?

I recall that learning that lim(1 - 1/n)^n with n->inf is 1/e, was one of the first things learned in Calculus. I think we even briefly touched this in highschool.

[maaku]

Yeah, but someone actually had to discover that at some point in the past ;)

[alecst]

> I recall that learning that lim(1 - 1/n)^n with n->inf is 1/e

To clarify this should not be 1/e, but e.

[evanb]

It would be e if there had been a + sign in the parens, but with a - it is, in fact, 1/e. (1-1/n) is always less than 1; multiplying a bunch of factors less than 1 can't possibly* give you 2.something.

*without somehow wrapping around infinity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_%2B_2_%2B_3_%2B_4_%2B_%E2%80%...

[alecst]

My mistake, didn't notice the minus sign...