 Irrationality criterion for factorial series

A factorial series with integral digits $0\le a_n<n$ is an irrational number exactly when positive digits occur infinitely often and digits below their maximum occur infinitely often. Under these two conditions every scaled tail $N!{\sum }_{n>N}{a}_n/n!$ lies strictly between zero and one. If the sum were a rational number $A/B$, choose $N\ge B$; then $N!A/B$ and the scaled finite head are integers, contradicting the strict tail bound. Conversely, an eventually zero digit sequence gives a finite rational number sum, and an eventually maximal sequence gives a finite head plus $1/N!$, again a rational number.