Summary

DescriptionExpIPi.gif	This is a demonstration that Exp(i*Pi)=-1 (called Euler's formula, or Euler's identity). It uses the formula (1+z/N)^N --> Exp(z) (as N increases). The Nth power is displayed as a repeated multiplication in the complex plane. As N increases, you can see that the final result (the last point) approaches -1, the actual value of Exp(i*pi).
Date	5 May 2008
Source	Own work   This diagram was created with Mathematica.
Author	Sbyrnes321

Licensing

I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

(* Source code written in Mathematica 6.0, by Steve Byrnes, 2008. I release this code into the public domain. *)

plot1 = Table[
  ListPlot[Table[{Re[(1 + (\[ImaginaryI] \[Pi])/n)^m], 
     Im[(1 + (\[ImaginaryI] \[Pi])/n)^m]}, {m, 0, n}], 
   PlotJoined -> True, PlotMarkers -> Automatic, 
   PlotRange -> {{-2.5, 1.1}, {0, \[Pi] + .05}}, AxesOrigin -> {0, 0},
    AxesLabel -> {"Real part", "Imaginary part"}, 
   PlotLabel -> "N = " <> ToString[n], 
   AspectRatio -> Automatic], {n, {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100}}];

Export["ExpIPi.gif", plot1, "DisplayDurations" -> {2}, 
 "AnimationRepititions" -> Infinity ]