By michael vivar
3.141592653589793284626433827950288419716939937510582097448923078164286208998628034825341170679
Most numerophiles will curl their toes in joy at the sight of this sequence of numbers which start off the value of pi.
To initially derive pi, a circle's circumference is divided by its diameter. One of its seemingly magical properties is no matter the circle's size, the result of "pi" remains the same.
A numerical representation of pi goes on infinitely with no discernable repeating pattern, which is why many find it so fascinating.
The number has been is an integral part of foundational mathematical formulae for millenia.
Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians used an approximation of pi in measurements for their construction.
The number was more accurately refined around 500 CE by Indian and Chinese mathematicians.
In modern times, calculating pi to the most decimal places is useful for stress testing supercomputers. 2024 saw an Intel-based system arrive at 202 trillion decimal places in 104 days.
"Practical" uses don't require such a meticulously exhausting amount of detail for the number. NASA is able to plan interplanetary travel with 15 decimal places.
Pi's uses also spans into the natural sciences. It can be used to measure growth in flora, rates of cell division or even predict the pattern of stripes in zebras.
In 1988, physicist Larry Shaw organized the first Pi Day (3/14) at the San Francisco Exploratorium. Congressed recognized it in 2009 to encourage kids' interest in math.
To celebrate Pi Day, enthusiasts use the punny nature of its name to bake or eat pies and using the dessert as a jumping off point for talking about mathematical education.
"Understand well as I may, my comprehension can only be an infinitesimal fraction of all I want to understand." – Ada Lovelace, first computer programmer