How unique is $e$? Is the property of a function being its own derivative unique to $e^x$, or are there other functions with this property? My working for $e$ is that for any $y=a^x$, $ln(y)=x\ln a$, so $\frac{dy}{dx}=\ln(a)a^x$, which equals $a^x$ if and only if $a=e$.
Considering equations of different forms, for example $y=mx+c$ we get $\frac{dy}{dx}=m$ and $mx+c=m$ only when $m=0$ and $c=0$, so there is not solution other than $y=0$. For $y=x^a$, $\frac{dy}{dx}=ax^{a-1}$, which I think equals $x^a$ only when $a=x$ and therefore no solutions for a constant a exist other than the trivial $y=0$.
Is this property unique to equations of the form $y=a^x$, or do there exist other cases where it is true? I think this is possibly a question that could be answered through differential equations, although I am unfortunately not familiar with them yet!

This may not be an answer you are looking for, but its a nice one to consider.
Consider $y=\cos(ix)-i\sin(ix)$.
You may find that:
$$\frac{dy}{dx}=-i\sin(ix)-i^2\cos(ix)=\cos(ix)-i\sin(ix)$$
Thus, $y'=y$ is satisfied.  Since $y(0)=1$, $y'(0)=1$, $\dots$, then by Taylor's theorem, we have $e^x=\cos(ix)-i\sin(ix)$, or more commonly known as
$$e^{ix}=\cos(x)+i\sin(x)$$
Which is Euler's formula for complex exponents.
