π (pi) Day

In 1988, the holiday π (pi) Day was founded by Larry Shaw, a physicist at the Exploratorium California Science Museum, to observe the mathematical constant pi (π). March 14 (3/14) was chosen because the first three significant figures of π are 3, 1, and 4.

The United States House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution recognizing π (pi) Day in 2009. Super Pi Day was celebrated in 2015 on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53 to represent the first 10 digits of π.

What is π? It is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It is an irrational number (not equal to the ratio of any two whole numbers.)

π, or its approximation, was described by the ancients. The Babylonians (c. 2000 BCE) obtained the value 3.125 by calculating the perimeter of a hexagon inscribed within a circle. The Rhind papyrus (c. 1650 BCE) scribed by the Egyptians used the value ~ 3.16045, and more recently, Archimedes (c. 250 BCE) as ~ 3.1418.

Since then, Arab, Chinese, and Indian mathematicians have done tedious calculations to extend the number of π decimal places. In the 17 century, Europeans used infinite series to further calculate π, and Isaac Newton used the binomial theorem to quickly calculate π to 16 decimal places.

In the 20th century, an Indian, Srinivasa Ramanujan, developed a means to incorporate these complex calculations into computer algorithms. By the following century, computers calculated π to 62,832,853,071,796 decimal places, and its two-quadrillionth digit was expressed in binary.

What is the use of π? This magical number is used in math problems to describe components of curved surfaces and in physics and engineering to describe periodic phenomena like pendulum motion, string vibration, and alternating electric currents.

Today, science geeks like to gather and celebrate pi (π) Day. They enjoy eating fruit pies and pizza pies.

Some wear silly T-shirts and compete to see who can recite π to the longest decimal.

Will you commemorate Pi (π) Day? It could become a new family tradition!

You can follow the Author on her Website or on Twitter.

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