Pi is the most studied number in mathematics, and for good reason. The number Pi is integral to our understanding of geometry. It is used in physics, astronomy and, of course, mathematics as well as being used in architecture and construction. It’s been a vital part of everything from arches and bridges to the Pyramids of Giza.
So it’s only fitting that it should have its own day. Today, March 14th (3/14 – Get it?) is officially Pi Day. The exact correct time for the celebration of Pi Day is at 1:59 pm. At 3/14 1:59 pm the numbers are the first six digits of Pi.
In case you need even more evidence of the importance of Pi Day, it’s also Albert Einstein’s birthday.
The value of Pi was first calculated by Archimedes.
The Pi symbol was introduced by William Jones, a Welsh mathematician, in 1706.
There is an entire language made from the number Pi. How can than be? Well, some people loved Pi enough to invent a dialect based on it. In “Pi-ish” the number of letters in each word match the corresponding digit of pi. The first word has three letters, the second has one letter, the third has four letters, and so on. The language is more popular than you might think. Software engineer Michael Keith wrote an entire book, called Not a Wake in that language.
The first 36 digits of Pi is called the Ludolphine Number. It’s named after the 16th century Dutch-German mathematician Ludolph van Ceulen who spent most of his life calculating the those first 36 digits. It’s said that the first 36 numbers were engraved on his tombstone.
Chinese people were far ahead of the West in finding the digits of pi — primarily due to two reasons. They had decimal notations and they had a symbol for the number zero. It wasn’t until the late middle ages that European mathematicians started using the number zero. At that time, European mathematicians partnered with Arab and Indian minds to bring the symbol of zero into their system.
Of course, like most things, not everyone is a devoted fan of Pi. Some math enthusiasts argue that “tau,” the number equivalent to twice Pi, also deserves the same notable place in mathematics as Pi. Tau’s approximate value is 6.28, and it refers to the relationship between a circle’s circumference and radius. So, many believe that the one that has a more inherent mathematical value between the two is tau. We’ll discuss this in more depth on June 28th.
But today we’re celebrating Pi….. there’s an old saying that men may come and men may go, but Pi goes on forever.
Or — as my mathematically inclined friends would say, “Have an irrational day.”
— 30 —