The dictionary Le Petit Robert explains that something is transcendental when it rises above a given level,
but also when it is sublime or superior. This implies, in everyday life, that something transcendental is rare, exceptional...
However, in Mathematics, it is quite different. Indeed:
The set R of real numbers can be divided into two subsets:
The subset A of algebraic numbers, which are the real solutions of polynomial equations with integer coefficients. For
example, the first-degree equation:
7.X - 22 = 0
defines the rational number 22/7. As for the second-degree equation:
implies that T , like R, is uncountable, and thus T is "much larger" than A.
Therefore, it is the algebraic numbers (in A) that are rare, while the transcendental numbers (in T) are the most "abundant" in R.