One of the competitors on The Amazing Race was seen wearing a hat with the numbers 1.618 on it. 1.618 is "Phi" or the Golden Ratio (to three decimal places), which many regard as the most beautiful proportion. That's great! I think it's pretty cool that a contestant on a reality show would wear a mathematical constant on her hat. (I wonder if anyone else mathematically inclined noticed.)
So, if you were going to wear a mathematical or physical constant on your hat, what would it be?
I'd pick "e" (the base of the natural logarithm). Economists like the natural log function. This book is a very nice history of e. This one is a decent book on the Golden Ratio. I must admit that I like books on mathematical constants and famous equations.
I wonder where I can get one of those "1.618" ballcaps.

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