Why am I fascinated by Pi ?
Hey there, fellow math enthusiasts! Today, I want to share with you my fascination with one of the most intriguing and magical numbers in mathematics – Pi (π). Whether you're a math nerd or just curious about numbers, you'll soon see why Pi deserves a special place in your heart. So, buckle up and join me on this journey through the history, trivia, and significance of Pi!
Pi represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, a concept so simple yet so profound. Zu Chongzhi, a mathematician and astronomer in 5th century China, cracked the pi code, nailing it down to seven sweet decimals—somewhere between 3.1415926 and 3.1415927. This calculation held the title of the world’s most accurate for a whopping 1,000 years, reigning supreme until the 14th century. Welsh mathematician William Jones introduced the symbol π in 1706, and it gained popularity thanks to the renowned mathematician Leonhard Euler.
Pi even finds its place in Egyptian mythology. The ancient Egyptians believed that the pyramids of Giza were built based on the principles of Pi. The vertical height of these magnificent structures has the same relationship with the perimeter of their base as the relationship between a circle's radius and its circumference. Truly phenomenal!
Did you know that March 14th (3/14) is celebrated as Pi Day? Math lovers worldwide commemorate this infinitely long, never-ending number on this day. Further, Albert Einstein was born on Pi Day in 1879, and Stephen Hawking passed away on March 14th, 2018, adding a cosmic connection to this special date.
According to The Guardian, Akira Haraguchi recited 100,000 digits of pi back in 2006. This impressive task reportedly took him a cool 16 hours and 30 minutes to complete. Another astounding feat associated with Pi is the record for reciting its decimal places. Rajveer Meena, a student from VIT University in Vellore, India, recited 70,000 decimal places of Pi in 2015. Can you imagine doing that for 10 hours straight while blindfolded? Mind-blowing!
Pi has permeated popular culture in unexpected ways. There's even a men's cologne by Givenchy named 'Pi,' marketed as enhancing the attractiveness of intelligent and visionary men. The quest to calculate more digits of Pi is an ongoing competition. In 2010, a Japanese engineer and an American computer wizard calculated up to 5 trillion digits of Pi using desktop computers and external hard drives. The record was further shattered in 2017 by a Swiss scientist who computed over 22 trillion digits. The calculation took over a hundred days!
One of the most well-known (but still mind-blowing) facts about pi is that it’s an irrational number. It can’t be expressed as a fraction, it doesn’t end with a repeating pattern (like the decimal expression of 1/3, 0.33333 …, in which the threes repeat forever), and it doesn’t terminate after a certain number of decimal places. It just keeps going and going and going. So far, pi has been calculated to 100 trillion digits, thanks to Google Cloud. The trillions of digits of pi that have been calculated continue without any discernible pattern. Mathematicians have been looking for those patterns for centuries, but as far back as 1768, a self-taught Swiss-German mathematician and astronomer named Johann Lambert proved that pi is irrational.
Calculating Pi isn't just a math challenge; it's also a stress test for computers, acting like a digital cardiogram indicating processor activity. This shows how intertwined Pi is with modern technology and computing. Some people love Pi so much that they've created an entire language based on it. In "Pi-lish," the number of letters in each word matches the corresponding digit of Pi. Software engineer Michael Keith even wrote a book, "Not a Wake," in this unique dialect. While Pi is beloved, some argue that tau (2π) is better suited for circle calculations. Tau proponents say it simplifies calculations by directly relating to the circle's radius. For instance, multiplying tau with the radius gives the circumference more intuitively.
Pi is literally infinite. Despite its length, the sequence 123456 doesn't appear in the first million digits of Pi, highlighting its unique nature. This infinite sequence has fascinated mathematicians . Pi's utility extends beyond theoretical mathematics. When rounded to nine decimal places, Pi can calculate Earth's circumference with astonishing accuracy, erring only by 1/4th of an inch over 25,000 miles. This demonstrates Pi's practical importance in real-world applications.
If we don’t need all those decimal places in pi, wouldn’t it be easier to just call it 3.2? One of the more bizarre facts about pi is that in 1897, an Indiana doctor decided that the world should go ahead and use 3.2 for any calculations requiring pi. Dr. Edwin Goodwin proposed a bill in the state legislature. He even copyrighted this idea and planned to charge royalty fees for anyone who used it—except for those in the state of Indiana. After some debate, the state senate realized that the idea of using a law to change a mathematical constant was a silly one, and the law failed to pass.
How in the world does someone memorize a string of 100,000 random numbers? Most record holders (or just interested hobbyists) use an association technique. They bunch smaller groups of numbers together and memorize those: 14, then 15, then 92, then 65 and so on. Or they may look at each set of nine digits as a telephone number and memorize them that way. Another strategy is to match each digit or small group to a word, then make a story out of those words. Yet another method is spatial visualization, in which you picture a familiar place, then assign numbers to different spots in that place. To recall them, you mentally walk through the space and see the numbers as you go.
As it’s a monosyllabic word that also happens to sound exactly like a yummy dessert, there’s no shortage of jokes and puns to be made about pi. “What kind of reptile do math teachers keep as pets?” “Pi-thons!” “Why should you never start a conversation with pi?” “Because it goes on forever!” And the best part is, telling pi-themed jokes makes you sound smart while you’re making people laugh. Who says math can’t be fun?!
So, why do I love Pi? It's a number that transcends time, cultures, and disciplines, captivating the minds of mathematicians, scientists, and enthusiasts alike. From ancient pyramids to modern supercomputers, Pi is a testament to the infinite beauty and complexity of mathematics. Feel free to share your own Pi stories andfall in love with this magical number! #FunFact