e if a finite number that is irrational. Put in different words (which I think is what is confusing other answerers) is that e is a finite number that has an infinite number of digits after the decimal point. That makes it irrational, but since e = 2.717 .... which is much less than an arbitrarily large number like infinity, it is surely finite.

Sometimes when people use mathematical terms more colloquially, it can infiltrate back into our mathematical interpretations and cause confusion. We must practice caution when using these words in different contexts!

the same way that 3 or 2 or 900000 is finite, so is e. Just because the digits past the decimal place never stop does not mean the number is changing or anything. The value of e or e^4 is much less than infinity since infinity is an abstraction that is extremely large by definition.

So, when you do a limit problem and you get e^4. That is finite and if you did your math correctly that would be the end of your problem.

Looking at it one way, e is a

finite number, since it's less than 3.

However, e is represented by a decimal

with an infinite number of places (like any

irrational number. That, however, doesn't

make e "infinite."

Finite means there is an end (sooner or later) to the numbers after the decimal point.

e, like pi, is NOT finite.

Here, you can see e represented by a INFINITE series:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_representatio...

Edit: Btw, what fizixx, Robert and I are getting at is e is infinite (as in not finite), not infinite (as in infinity), like Bent Snowman thinks we're saying.

Yes, as all numbers are finite.

No, it's not "finite"...not at all. e, like π is a transcendental number without resolution.