Pi stuff that is cool and fun to look at…?
Babylonians 2000? BCE 3.125 = 3 + 1/8
Egyptians 2000? BCE 3.16045
China 1200? BCE 3
Bible (1 Kings 7:23) 550? BCE 3
Archimedes 250? BCE 3.1418 (ave.)
Hon Han Shu 30 AD 3.1622 = sqrt(10) ?
Ptolemy 150 3.14166
Chung Hing 250? 3.16227 = sqrt(10)
Wang Fau 250? 3.15555 = 142/45
Liu Hui 263 3.14159
Siddhanta 380 3.1416
Tsu Ch'ung Chi 480? 3.1415926
Aryabhata 499 3.14156
Brahmagupta 640? 3.162277 = sqrt(10)
Al-Khowarizmi 800 3.1416
Fibonacci 1220 3.141818
Al-Kashi 1429
Otho 1573 3.1415929
Viete 1593 3.1415926536 (ave.)
Romanus 1593
Van Ceulen 1596
Van Ceulen 1615
Newton 1665
Sharp 1699
Seki 1700?
Kamata 1730?
Machin 1706
De Lagny 1719 (112 correct)
Takebe 1723
Matsunaga 1739
Vega 1794
Rutherford 1824 (152 correct)
Strassnitzky and Dase 1844
Clausen 1847
Lehmann 1853
Rutherford 1853
Shanks 1874 (527 correct)
Plouffe, Simon. “History of the computation of Pi.” April 13, 1998. Centre for Experimental and Constructive Mathematics. March 6, 2003. Source.
Digits := 25000 p:=evalf(Pi); p :=
3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751
05820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647
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Borwein, Jonathan. “25,000 Digits of Pi.” February 19, 2003. Centre for Experimental and Constructive Mathematics. March 6, 2003.
Conceive a sphere constructed with the earth at it center, and imagine it surface to pass through Sirius, which is 8.8 light years distant from the earth... Then imagine this enormous sphere to be so packed with microbes that in every cubic millimeter millions and millions of these diminutive animalcula are present. Now conceive these microbes to be unpacked and so distributed singly along a straight line that every two microbes are as far distant from each other as Sirius is from us... Conceive the long line thus fixed by all the microbes at the diameter of a circle, and imagine its circumference to be calculated by multiplying it diameter by Pi to 100 decimal places. Then, in the case of a circle of this enormous magnatude even, the circumference so calculated would not vary from the real circumference by a millionth part of a millimeter.
This example will suffice to show that the calculation of Pi to 100 or 500 decimal places is wholly useless.
- Hermann Schubart, A mathematics professor from Hamburg, Germany in 1889
Source: Schubert, H., The Squaring of the Circle. Contained in Mathematical Essays and Recerations, Translation from the German, Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago, 1899
Schubart, Hermann. “Comment on the uselessness of Pi.” 2000. Go2Net. March 6, 2003.
National Pi Day is March 14th (3.14). For eight years, we have been celebrating Pi Day at the Exploratorium. Our festivities begin at 1:59 PST That's 3.14159 for those of you playing at home. March 14th is also Albert Einstein's birthday! That's reason enough to celebrate If you can't come by the museum, then please celebrate Pi Day in your own way.
- Each year, people bring pies to the Exploratorium. One year someone brought an apple pie with the Pi symbol on it we took a picture of the pie then we ate the pie. Yum.
- If 2 billion decimals of pi were printed in ordinary type, they would stretch from New York City to the middle of Kansas.
< http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/pi/>
http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm
Poe, E.
Near a Raven
Midnights so dreary, tired and weary.
Silently pondering volumes extolling all by-now
obsolete lore.
During my rather long nap - the weirdest tap!
An ominous vibrating sound disturbing my chamber's antedoor.
"This", I whispered quietly, "I ignore".
Perfectly, the intellect remembers: the ghostly
fires, a glittering ember.
Inflamed by lightning's outbursts, windows cast
penumbras upon this floor.
Sorrowful, as one mistreated, unhappy thoughts I
heeded:
That inimitable lesson in elegance - Lenore -
Is delighting, exciting...nevermore.
Ominously, curtains parted (my serenity
outsmarted),
And fear overcame my being - the fear
of "forevermore".
Fearful foreboding abided, selfish sentiment
confided,
As I said, "Methinks mysterious traveler knocks
afore.
A man is visiting, of age threescore."
Taking little time, briskly addressing
something: "Sir," (robustly)
"Tell what source originates clamorous noise afore?
Disturbing sleep unkindly, is it you a-tapping, so
slyly?
Why, devil incarnate!--" Here completely unveiled I my
antedoor--
Just darkness, I ascertained - nothing more.
While surrounded by darkness then, I persevered to
clearly comprehend.
I perceived the weirdest dream...of
everlasting "nevermores".
Quite, quite, quick nocturnal doubts fled - such
relief! - as my intellect said,
(Desiring, imagining still) that perchance the
apparition was uttering a whispered "Lenore".
This only, as evermore.
Silently, I reinforced, remaining anxious, quite
scared, afraid,
While intrusive tap did then come thrice - O, so
stronger than sounded afore.
"Surely" (said silently) "it was the banging,
clanging window lattice."
Glancing out, I quaked, upset by horrors
hereinbefore,
Perceiving: a "nevermore".
Completely disturbed, I said, "Utter, please, what
prevails ahead.
Repose, relief, cessation, or but more
dreary 'nevermores'?"
The bird intruded thence - O, irritation ever since! -
Then sat on Pallas' pallid bust, watching me (I sat
not, therefore),
And stated "nevermores".
Bemused by raven's dissonance, my soul
exclaimed, "I seek intelligence;
Explain thy purpose, or soon cease intoning
forlorn 'nevermores'!"
"Nevermores", winged corvus proclaimed - thusly was
a raven named?
Actually maintain a surname, upon Pluvious seashore?
I heard an oppressive "nevermore".
My sentiments extremely pained, to perceive an utterance so plain,
Most interested, mystified, a meaning I hoped for.
"Surely," said the raven's watcher, "separate discourse is wiser.
Therefore, liberation I'll obtain, retreating
heretofore -
Eliminating all the 'nevermores' ".
Still, the detestable raven just remained,
unmoving, on sculptured bust.
Always saying "never" (by a red chamber's door).
A poor, tender heartache maven - a sorrowful bird - a raven!
O, I wished thoroughly, forthwith, that he'd fly
heretofore.
Still sitting, he recited "nevermores".
The raven's dirge induced alarm - "nevermore" quite wearisome.
I meditated: "Might its utterances summarize of a calamity before?"
O, a sadness was manifest - a sorrowful cry of unrest;
"O," I thought sincerely, "it's a melancholy great - furthermore,
Removing doubt, this explains 'nevermores' ".
Seizing just that moment to sit - closely, carefully, advancing beside it,
Sinking down, intrigued, where velvet cushion lay afore.
A creature, midnight-black, watched there - it studied my soul, unawares.
Wherefore, explanations my insight entreated for.
Silently, I pondered the "nevermores".
"Disentangle, nefarious bird! Disengage - I am disturbed!"
Intently its eye burned, raising the cry within my core.
"That delectable Lenore - whose velvet pillow this was, heretofore,
Departed thence, unsettling my consciousness therefore.
She's returning - that maiden - aye, nevermore."
Since, to me, that thought was madness, I renounced continuing sadness.
Continuing on, I soundly, adamantly forswore:
"Wretch," (addressing blackbird only) "fly swiftly - emancipate me!"
"Respite, respite, detestable raven - and discharge me, I implore!"
A ghostly answer of: "nevermore".
" 'Tis a prophet? Wraith? Strange devil? Or the ultimate evil?"
"Answer, tempter-sent creature!", I inquired, like before.
"Forlorn, though firmly undaunted,
with 'nevermores' quite indoctrinated,
Is everything depressing, generating great sorrow evermore?
I am subdued!", I then swore.
In answer, the raven turned - relentless distress it spurned.
"Comfort, surcease, quiet, silence!" - pleaded I for.
"Will my (abusive raven!) sorrows persist unabated?
Nevermore Lenore respondeth?", adamantly I encored.
The appeal was ignored.
"O, satanic inferno's denizen -- go!", I said boldly, standing then.
"Take henceforth loathsome "nevermores" - O, to an ugly Plutonian shore!
Let nary one expression, O bird, remain still here, replacing mirth.
Promptly leave and retreat!", I resolutely swore.
Blackbird's riposte: "nevermore".
So he sitteth, observing always, perching ominously on these doorways.
Squatting on the stony bust so untroubled, O therefore.
Suffering stark raven's conversings, so I am condemned, subserving,
To a nightmare cursed, containing miseries galore.
Thus henceforth, I'll rise (from a darkness, a grave) -- nevermore!
-- Original: E. Poe
-- Redone by measuring circles.
Pie.
I like a peach blueberry or banana cream and lemon meringue raspberry rhubarb mincemeat pie in sky
apple a la mode cherry or humble shoo fly pie mulberry mud or pumpkin chocolate pecan oh ruin your
appetite
http://home.att.net/~lorreen/mypoems/pipoem.htm
. .
http://www.joyofpi.com/schaaf.htm
"Probably no symbol in mathematics has evoked as much mystery, romanticism, misconception and human interest as the number pi (?)."
--William L. Schaaf, Nature and History of Pi
http://members.aol.com/iterate/Pi.htm
"Your method of getting closer and closer to pi by an infinite sequence of constructions is new to me and most interesting."
Martin Gardner
