## The Most Beautiful Equations

This is a nice comment-thread and poll on Quora responding to the question “What is the most beautiful equation?”

http://www.quora.com/Mathematics/What-is-the-most-beautiful-equation

No surprise to see Euler’s Identity on top with a whopping 350 votes.

There are fun entries all throughout thread, and I definitely learned a few things through perusing.   And I guess I can forgive the participants for including some inequalities on the list.

www.MrHonner.com

1. Tao Wang says:

I would define beauty in mathematics and science as 1) short, 2) easy to understand, 3) describes an idea that is non-obvious. Euler’s identity certainly fits #1 and #3 but not #2. In my opinion, the most beautiful equation is F=ma.

2. MrHonner says:

Shouldn’t “Truth” also be a requirement?

• Tao Wang says:

ahem, “describes a ‘true’ idea that is non-obvious”

• MrHonner says:

I think “F = ma” fails to meet the truth requirement.

3. James T says:

I would consider V-E+F=2

4. Troy Singletary says:

Personally I think the Dirac equation should be at/near the top. It predicted antimatter before it was experimentally discovered!

5. da hua says:

I think it’s e^ipi = -1 (Euler’s identity).

6. Juejun Xiao says:

I like the equation
1+3 = B

7. Juejun Xiao says:

whats the Limit, as i approaching to u, of the function (i + me),
The limit is u and me.
Don’t throw rocks at me.

8. hands down. (∆x)(m)(∆v)=h/2