Pi

Pi is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet and is used in its lower case form (<math>\pi</math>) to represent the mathematical constant of the same name which is defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It is an important number and appears in many mathematical and physical formulae.

The value of <math>\pi</math> is an irrational number; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used).

The value of <math>\pi</math> is approximately 3.14159 in decimal. This value is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet.

For rough purposes, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.14285...) is sometimes used. 355/113 is accurate to six places.

In hexadecimal (base-16) notation, <math>\pi</math> is approximately 3.243f.

History

To some extent, the progress of mathematics—or at least of computation—can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <math>\pi</math> has been calculated.

In the Bible, 1 Kings 7:23 contains the 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." Making many assumptions this quotation (which predates Greek mathematics) would appear to equate Pi to 3.

Papyrys of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C. circa 1000 years before Book of Kings, shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.166666667. The Babylonian value from same time <math>\pi</math> 3 1/8 = 3.125.

In 1873 Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <math>\pi</math> to 707 places, but unfortunately made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <math>\pi</math> 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 <math>\pi</math> 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 <math>\pi</math> 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 Near a Raven which simultaneously parodies Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Raven, while encoding <math>\pi</math> 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). [1]

Controversy

The original definition of Pi is generally known to have originated from 1 Kings 7:23-26 in the Old Testament:

“

He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. Below the rim, gourds encircled it - ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea. The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.

”

Biblical evidence dictates the value of Pi to be 3 (30/10). However, the computational value of Pi has been a subject of great controversy. Although the liberal scientific community prefers to use the approximate value of 3.141592654 in its computations, there is little consensus as to where this falsified value has originated. Moreover, there exists no mathematical proof to undermine the assumption that Pi is 3.141592654 and not simply 3.

Creationist scientists have long argued that the factual value of Pi (as 3) reflects profoundly on the nature of God and the intricate logic and care with which the world has been intelligently designed. The number 3 is widely seen as a parallel to the holy trinity and the triumvirate.

3 is accepted by the Young Earth Society as the true ratio between the circumference and the diameter of a circle. Many conservatives believe that the entire body of science will have to be reconsidered at its fundamental level to better correspond to God's masterplan, as laid out in the Holy Bible.