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I Celebrate Pi Day

[b][c=#BF0080]Happy birthday π ! [/c] [/b]

Today (3/14) is π day.

(1) π is equal to the ratio of the circumference of a circle and its diameter.

(2) π is a [i]transcendental[/i] number. Briefly, this means that [i]we do not know its value[/i], and we never will, haha. π, you’ll always be a mystery.

(3) π is (most likely) a [i]normal[/i] number: the distribution probability of digits within π is random. If we assign a [i]pair of consecutive digits[/i] to a character (such as "65"="A", cf. ASCII code table) we will find the contents of each book that has ever been written (even bad books, those behind the front row on our shelves) somewhere along the digits of π, and also any book that has [i]not[/i] been written, and all variations thereof. There will be a version of Hamlet where Ophelia is called Helen.

(4) The value of π is more fundamental than the physical constants. If the universe did not exist, the physical constants would loose their meaning, but π would remain the same, indicating that [i]spirit is more fundamental than matter.[/i] We, as humans, can change a lot of things, but we can’t change π. Even God cannot change π, sorry Sir, You may have created the world but You did not create π. It’s always been there. And you don't know the value of π either.

(5) π is considered to be one of the five [i]fundamental[/i] numbers: i, e, π, 1, and 0. These numbers appear in the famous equation e^(i*π) + 1 = 0 (Gauss? Euler? Don’t remember.)

[sep][sep]

[c=#BF0080]Happy birthday π!
You’re one of a kind, and we are big fans!

[b]We love you π ![/b][/c]

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PS: As user “SleepWalker” has pointed out, Prof Albert Einstein was born on π day. Moreover, “samueltyler2” wrote that Prof Stephen Hawking died on π day. Prof Einstein and Prof Hawking have contributed so much to our understanding of the physical world. What an amazing coincidence.–
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UnderTheBridge · 46-50, M
Pi is irrational too. Nice post 😊
helenS · 36-40, F
[i][/i]@UnderTheBridge Yes. It’s a transcendental, so it’s necessarily irrational. It’s also a [i]real number.[/i]
Question is: is it a normal number?
UnderTheBridge · 46-50, M
@helenS anyone who can answer that is not normal.
helenS · 36-40, F
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@helenS ever wonder what person sat there and derived it? Also why he/she did?

It is almost as bizarre as DaVinci's body measurements from his Vitruvian Man! We both know those measurements even hold up today! 😈
helenS · 36-40, F
@samueltyler2 A brief history of our favorate transcendental number can be found here:

https://www.exploratorium.edu/pi/history-of-pi
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@helenS it still doesn't get at [u]why[/u] anyone decided to attempt this. Archimedes allegedly thought about density while taking a bath and seeing the amount of water his body displaced, what on earth must he have been thinking, or drinking, when he decided to try to measure the area of a circle.
helenS · 36-40, F
@samueltyler2 Oh there are many practical purposes. How much wine is in a bottle if the diameter d=10cm and the height h=25cm?
Of course, it’s
π * (d/2)^2 * h.

Apart from this, I believe human beings are interested in things that have no practical purpose whatsoever. Take the age of the universe as an example. It simply doesn’t matter, from a practical point of view, whether the universe is 14 billion or 23 trillion years old.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@helenS I guess that you are correct. Perhaps they needed to know how much dough went into a round pie, pizza pie? pardon the pun, I just couldn't stop myself!
UnderTheBridge · 46-50, M
@helenS but I think a lot of useless things were discovered only to later be deemed as useful. For example x-ray and photovoltaic effect. They were put to good use only later .
helenS · 36-40, F
@UnderTheBridge
Yes! Semiconductor physics is another perfect example.

On the other hand, I think we should [i]not[/i] investigate the physical world and its spiritual foundations (of which math is a part) [i]because[/i] our results might be of practical importance in the future. We should think about the world, and our place therein, because we are human beings.