7k views

### What is the most unusual proof you know that $\sqrt{2}$ is irrational?

What is the most unusual proof you know that $\sqrt{2}$ is irrational? Here is my favorite: Theorem: $\sqrt{2}$ is irrational. Proof: $3^2-2\cdot 2^2 = 1$. (That's it) That is a ...
60k views

### Proving $\int_{0}^{\infty} \mathrm{e}^{-x^2} dx = \frac{\sqrt \pi}{2}$

How to prove $$\int_{0}^{\infty} \mathrm{e}^{-x^2}\, dx = \frac{\sqrt \pi}{2}$$
31k views

### Proof that a Combination is an integer

From its definition a combination $\binom{n}{k}$, is the number of distinct subsets of size $k$ from a set of $n$ elements. This is clearly an integer, however I was curious as to why the expression ...
155 views

### What is the largest possible variance of a random variable on $[0; 1]$?

What is the largest possible variance of a random variable on $[0; 1]$? It is evident that it does not exceed $1$, but I doubt, that $1$ is actually possible. The largest variance, for which I found ...
222 views

### Does there exist a group that is both a free product and a direct product of nontrivial groups?

Do there exist such nontrivial groups $A$, $B$, $C$ and $D$, such that $A \times B \cong C \ast D$? I failed to construct any examples, so I decided to try to prove they do not exist by contradiction....
2k views

### Is $(\mathbb{Q},+)$ the direct product of two non-trivial subgroups?

Is this statement true or false? I am really not having any idea how to prove or a counterexample, please help. Is $(\mathbb{Q},+)$ a direct product of two non-trivial subgroups?
229 views

### Question about Euler's approach to find $\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac1{n^2}=\frac{\pi^2}6$
For a freshman calculus project, I used Euler's approach to find $\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac1{n^2}=\frac{\pi^2}6$, and noted from Wikipedia's explanation that the infinite product representation of \$\frac{...