News Excerpt:
March 14th, also known as 3/14 in the American convention, is celebrated worldwide as Pi Day.
What is Pi Day?
- It is a day to celebrate the number π or “Pi” (3.1459…).
- On the day, mathematicians try to raise awareness on their subject among lay persons, through lectures, museum exhibitions and pie (sic) eating competitions.
History of Pi Day:
- The tradition was started by physicist Larry Shaw of the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco in 1988.
- In 2019, UNESCO’s 40th General Conference designated Pi Day as the International Day of Mathematics.
What is Pi?
- Pi, often represented by the Greek letter π and it is the most famous of all mathematical constants.
- It represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.
- Regardless of the circle’s size, this ratio always remains constant.
- Pi is an irrational number.
- It is a decimal with no end and no repeating pattern — which is most often approximated to the 3.14, or the fraction 22/7.
Importance of Pie:
- The importance of Pi has been recognized for at least 4,000 years.
- Both the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians were familiar with the concept of pie.
- Pi is applied extensively in mathematical and scientific calculations, including geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and various other disciplines, aiding in a wide array of computations.
- Circles and 3D shapes like cylinders, spheres, cones use Pi.
- It's crucial in architecture, design, engineering for constructions, equipment making Pi indispensable.
