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57 bytes added ,  16:15, March 16, 2007
bible argument about pi = 3
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<big><math>\pi</math></big> is also the symbol used in mathematics for the ratio between the diameter of a circle and its circumference, and which appears in many other places.  
 
<big><math>\pi</math></big> is also the symbol used in mathematics for the ratio between the diameter of a circle and its circumference, and which appears in many other places.  
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In the Bible, 1 Kings 7:23 contains the famous passage "And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about." This quotation predates Greek mathematics and is an example of the wisdom contained in the bible.  Assuming the "sea" is perfectly circular, this would equate Pi to an exact 3. As a result, some people use this as "proof" the Bible's fallibility. However, the Bible only says that the "sea" is ''round'', not that it is ''circular''.
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In the Bible, 1 Kings 7:23 contains the famous passage "And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about." This quotation predates Greek mathematics and is an example of the wisdom contained in the bible.  Assuming the "sea" is perfectly circular, and that the given distances are perfectly exact and not rounded, this would equate Pi to 3. As a result, some people use this as "proof" the Bible's fallibility. However, the Bible only says that the "sea" is ''round'', not that it is ''circular''.
    
<big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; this means that it cannot be expressed as a fraction, and (therefore) cannot be expressed exactly as a decimal no matter how many decimal places it is carried out to.  
 
<big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; this means that it cannot be expressed as a fraction, and (therefore) cannot be expressed exactly as a decimal no matter how many decimal places it is carried out to.  

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