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In 1873 Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but unfortunately made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out.
In 1873 Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but unfortunately made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out.
==Recreational use==
Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I want a drink—alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.
March 14 marks Pi Day, a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date comes from the first three digits of pi; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.
Pi Approximation day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm]
==Notes and references==
==Notes and references==