Illustration by John Henry Creations.
Pi anyone?
Today is international Pi day. Every March 14 (or 3/14 in month/day format) 3.14159 is revered world wide.
The Greek letter π is the symbol in mathematics used to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, namely, 3.14159.
Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. It is an irrational and transcendental number, and will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern.
This is a big deal because a circle is a little more than three times its width around. Always.
Pi (π) is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is a constant number, meaning that for all circles of any size, Pi will be the same. Always.
In a world where things are always changing, it is good to know there is something that is a constant. You may find that comforting the next time you look at anything circular. What goes around comes around.
Should you think math is boring, there are some fun ways to celebrate Pi day. For example, if you go to YouTube you can hear a beautiful violin composition by Steven Rochen.
Better yet, Google Felix Jung who converted the first 10,000 digits of pi into music using a Flash-based animation.
There is even a Pi fan club and Pi pages on the web.
The idea to celebrate Pi day by eating pie originated in San Francisco, also home of Uber, Pinterest and other great ideas. The annual Pi Day celebration originated in the Bay Area in the late 1980s, thanks to physicist Larry Shaw.
Anyway you slice it, Pi Day is a constant reminder that math is all around us.
It’s traditional to have a slice of pie on Pi Day.
