Euler's Identity, drawn

Five fundamental constants — 0, 1, e, i, π — bound in a single equation. The geometric meaning: starting at 1 on the real axis and applying π radians of rotation lands you at -1.

eiπ + 1 = 0
The unit circle as e^(iθ)
eiθ = cos(θ) + i·sin(θ)
θ
0.00
cos θ
1.0000
sin θ
0.0000
The limit definition, geometric
(1 + iπ/n)n → eiπ as n→∞
n
1
(1 + iπ/n)ⁿ
1+iπ
distance from −1
−
θ 0.00
n (limit) 6
how to read this
The left panel traces e^(iθ) around the unit circle. Move the θ slider — at θ = π, the trace lands exactly on -1, and Euler's identity becomes a geometric fact: a half-turn from 1.

The right panel shows why this is true. Multiplication by (1 + iπ/n) is a small rotation (by ≈π/n radians) plus a small scale-up. Apply it n times and you spiral outward through n steps that land near -1. As n grows, the spiral hugs the unit circle more tightly, and the endpoint converges to -1. The rotation accumulates; the scaling cancels out in the limit.