Product of Transcendentals

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I want to prove or disprove that the product of two transcendental is transcendental: (However, not using an inverse identity such as $\pi$ and $\frac1\pi$)

My attempt:

Proof using Hilbert's number: $2^\sqrt2$

The product of Hilbert's number I contend is transcendental: $(2^\sqrt2)^2$ =$2^\sqrt2 * 2^\sqrt2 = 2^{\sqrt2+\sqrt2}= 2^{irrationalnumber}$

$\sqrt2+\sqrt2$ is irrational because there sum has no parts that cancel out.

Thus, $2^{irrationalnumber}$ by Gelfond-Schneider Thorem, any number of the form $a^b$ is transcendental where $a$ and $b$ are algebraic and $b$ is not a rational number.

I dislike the $2^{irrationalnumber}$ and the fact that I used the same two transcendental is the a more stronger proof that use two distinct and no inverse like the questions asks?

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The statement "the product of two transcendentals is transcendental" means "the product of any two transcendentals is always transcendental". It is true that $2^{\sqrt{2}} \times 2^\sqrt{2} = 2^{2 \sqrt{2}}$ is transcendental, but this is just an example to show that the product of two transcendentals can be transcendental.

If you don't like $\pi$ and $1/\pi$, take any nonzero algebraic number $c$ and any transcendental number $a$. Then $b = c/a$ will also be transcendental, but $ab = c$ is not transcendental.