Q: Why is e special? (2.718…, not 2, 3.7 or another number?)

A common question is why e (2.71828...) is so special. Why not 2, 3.7 or some other number as the base of growth?


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://betterexplained.com/articles/q-why-is-e-special-2-718-not-other-number/