identity-2
Explanation
The comic presents a mathematical equation displayed on a board: (e^i)^0 = (2pi/tau)', labeled as "Weinersmith's Identity," with the caption stating it "has been far less popular than Euler's Identity, despite having far more fundamental constants."
This is a parody of Euler's Identity, e^(i*pi) + 1 = 0, which is widely celebrated as one of the most beautiful equations in mathematics because it elegantly links five fundamental constants: e (Euler's number), i (the imaginary unit), pi, 1, and 0.
Weinersmith's joke equation also contains many fundamental constants but is mathematically trivial. On the left side, (e^i)^0 equals 1, because anything raised to the zero power equals 1. On the right side, tau (often defined as 2pi) means 2pi/tau = 2pi/(2pi) = 1, and the derivative (indicated by the prime symbol) of the constant 1 is 0. So the equation simplifies to 1 = 0, which is actually false, or alternatively if interpreted differently, it is simply a trivial identity stuffed with constants that cancel each other out.
The humor lies in the contrast between Euler's Identity, which reveals a deep and surprising connection between fundamental constants, and Weinersmith's Identity, which crams in as many constants as possible in a way that is either trivially true or nonsensical. It satirizes the tendency to fetishize equations for containing important-looking symbols rather than for their actual mathematical depth. The joke is essentially: quantity of constants does not equal quality of insight.
The hover text ("Anyone who can figure out how to cram phi in there gets about 1.6 internet points") continues the joke. Phi, the golden ratio, is approximately 1.618, so "about 1.6 internet points" is itself a phi joke. The challenge to "cram phi in" reinforces the comic's satire of valuing equations based on how many famous constants they contain.