Which is greater: ${\mathbf{e}}^{\mathbf{\pi }}$ or ${\mathbf{\pi }}^{\mathbf{e}}$? An unorthodox solution to a classic puzzle

Abstract

The question of the title is a famous puzzle in the field of recreational mathematics, and can be addressed by several approaches. A compilation of solutions, some of them very ingenious, can be found in [1]. In this contribution we present an alternative solution based on the second law of thermodynamics. The method can be extended to derive a more general result involving the exponential function.