Square Root of Two

The diagonal of a unit square — the first number proved impossible to write as a fraction.

Specifications & Metrics

symbol

√2

approx

1.41421356237309…

Core Principles & Analysis

• Its irrationality is attributed to Hippasus of Metapontum, legendarily drowned for revealing it.
• Babylonian clay tablets carry its value to six decimal places, 1;24,51,10 in sexagesimal.
• It is the positive solution of x² = 2, and the first known example of an irrational number.