Abstract

Abstract The advent of inexpensive, high-performance computers and new efficient algorithms have made possible the automatic recognition of numerically computed constants. In other words, techniques now exist for determining, within certain limits, whether a computed real or complex number can be written as a simple expression involving the classical constants of mathematics. These techniques will be illustrated by discussing the authors' work in recognizing Euler sums and in finding new formulas for , formulas that permit digits to be extracted from their expansions.

Bailey: NAS Applied Research Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA; dbailey@nas.nasa.gov.
Plouffe: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; plouffe@cecm.sfu.ca.