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[email protected]You have a big decision to make. Will you eat pepperoni pizza pie or cherry pie on a March 14th at 1:59? Choose wisely, because you should eat twenty-six bites of pie on 3-14 at 1:59.
Why, you ask?
Mathnasium of Littleton’s favorite holiday, Pi Day, is on March 14th. At Mathnasium, we celebrate Pi (pronounced like pie) Day by eating pie and doing math.
What is Pi?
Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Take any perfect circle, of any size, and accurately measure the distance around it, or the circumference. Then measure the diameter, any line that starts at one point of the perimeter passes through the center and ends at the opposite point of the perimeter. Next, divide the circumference by the diameter, or C/D, and that is equal to Pi. The C/D of any circle is equal to 3.1415926. Hence, Pi Day is March 14th or 3-14.
Pi is an irrational number, meaning it can’t be expressed as a numerical fraction, and the digits to the right of the decimal never end or repeat the same pattern. Some Mathnasium students, like Abigail, memorize the digits of pi for fun or for contests. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYZzw5HhEs4
Most of us don’t have the need, or the desire, to calculate the exact ratio beyond 3.14. The ancient Babylonians used the approximation of 3.125. The Greek mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, Archimedes (287-212 BCE) accurately calculated Pi. Today that method is aptly named the “Archimedes Method.” You can see a demonstration of that method here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rJdkhlWZVQ
Why is this ratio called Pi?
It is impractical to write out irrational numbers. Remember, they never end! Mathematicians that wanted to talk about the exact number had to derive a different notation system than our typical numbering system. Greek letters provided a solution because most Western scholars were familiar with the Greek alphabet. In 1706, William Jones used the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet, π, to symbolize the number. π is the first letter in the Greek word “perimetros” which means circumference.
Why eat Pie on Pi Day?
Pies are circular and pi is about circles. We like pepperoni pizza pie because it has plenty of circles on it, but we wouldn’t turn down a chocolate or cherry pie either. Mostly Pi Day is an excuse to eat pie and celebrate math.
If you want to celebrate Pi Day with a bunch of mathematicians, stop by our center on March 14! We're certain to have pie!
This article is copyright protected. Mathnasium of Littleton has permission to use it. Other Mathnasium locations must purchase it at http://hdwrite.com before using it.
