DailyDirt: Happy Pi Day

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Math geeks rejoice! It's Pi Day again! Why is the number pi so awesome? Because, as Mr. Spock once explained, "the value of pi is a transcendental figure without resolution." Here are a few more cool pi-related links. If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.
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Filed Under: exploratorium, irrational numbers, math, pi, pi day, transcendental numbers


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous, 14 Mar 2013 @ 5:49pm

    One year ago tonight I attended a Kelly Clarkson concert. Excellent show! Next month I plan to attend a Sheryl Crow concert in the same place.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2013 @ 6:32pm

    "The answer is... 39."

    Awww damnit! I thought it was... 42.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    Anonymous Monkey (profile), 14 Mar 2013 @ 7:14pm

    Re:

    No, no... That's just the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2013 @ 8:38pm

    no matter how many digits of you know of Pi, you will not be able to measure the circumference of the known universe with it..

    But you will need one HELL of a long tape measure

    motto of the story, you need a ruler to measure distance, not a number.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2013 @ 8:42pm

    and if you are measuring the circumference, you don't need Pi at all.

    now if you were trying to calculate the circumference by measuring the diameter, and doing a further calculation you would require the value of pi..

    if you want to CALCULATE the circumference of the universe by measuring the diameter then pi is needed.

    of pi (3.125) around 2000 B.C. [url]
    �How many digits of pi are required to be able to measure the circumference of the observable universe,


    ZERO digits.. of pi are required to measure it's circumference.. and 1 very long tape measure.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2013 @ 8:45pm

    pi is as old as it is long. infinite.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2013 @ 8:52pm

    Re:

    Mr damnit, you don't need pi at all, do you don't need 39 or 42 because you are trying to measure it's circumference.

    if you were trying to measure it's diameter, you then would need pi to 39 decimal places to calculate it's circumference from your measurement of it's diameter.

    it is not possible to measure the diameter to that accuracy.

    zero digits of pi are required if you are directly measuring it's circumference.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2013 @ 8:54pm

    StumbleUpon

    Why would anyone bother going there ?? seems they have no clue about anything !!!.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    G Thompson (profile), 14 Mar 2013 @ 10:06pm

    Re:

    All hail the ruler of the universe, may their rule be without measure... wait... wut!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Pixelation, 14 Mar 2013 @ 10:59pm

    I ate Pie in honor of Pi day. Pepperoni.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Mr. Applegate, 15 Mar 2013 @ 3:35am

    Pi Day?

    What about Tau day, I ask?

    You ask, what is Tau day?

    http://halftauday.com/

    Hope you will publish Tau day on 6/28 too. After all Pi is simply half of Tau.

    ;^)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    zaarcis, 15 Mar 2013 @ 4:09am

    I choose Tau

    Anyway, happy Albert Einstein birthday! :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Mar 2013 @ 6:04am

    Re: I choose Tau

    it's a shame they put a quantum particle's day on the Albert Einstein's birthday, considering Einstein's not believing in or willing to consider quantum physics.. bit of a slap in the face if you ask me.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    mischab1, 15 Mar 2013 @ 9:27am

    Re: Pi Day?

    I first heard of Tau last June. Wish I'd found out about it sooner. It would have made Trig so much easier.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Mar 2013 @ 9:51am

    How many digits of pi are required to be able to measure the circumference of the observable universe,

    I decide to use the unit of measurement, not inches, feet, miles or light-years, instead I will use as my unit length Universe Diameters, therefore the circumference of the universe (assuming it is round), equals 3.1415..... Universe diameters.

    circumference of universe = 3.1415UD's (Universe diameters). To an infinite precision.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Mar 2013 @ 4:51pm

    Re: Re: Pi Day?

    Tau + Ceti + planet 16 = Lythion.
    Wait, that can't be right. I don't recall the planet being called Lythion in the movie. Only on the DVD cover.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Alebachew Yessuf, 20 Jul 2013 @ 1:50am

    No irrational number

    The philosophy of UNITY(TEWHID) in Islam and Christianity and the unity of the universe ,science and mathematics:

    Many things are said about the law of nature, mathematics and society. The origin of the universe is God, energy is neither created nor destroyed, the laws of conservation and transformation of energy, change is from simple to complex or it can be brought by evolution or through creation, Euclidean and non Euclidean geometry, mathematics as tool for measuring quantity, individual as unit of society and as part of society etc. Time and space are also the other subjects of philosophy. And presently it is unusual that some advocates of religious philosophy try to justify the truth of their religion based on scientific findings. Still philosophizing theorizing and scientific research are wandering here and there to get the truth of the world. Every group of philosophy and religious belief holds its own trend of attitude and belief. And in the book �WITHIN UNITY NO CIRCULARITY NOR IRRATIONALITY � (amazon.com ) it is tried to show possible way to the general truth .

    Based on natural laws accepted by science and religion the direction of permanency, unity, independency , spatial coverage, indivisibility, purification, necessity, invisibility- generally the absolute quality of nature and the opposite qualities are dealt. Because these are the different measurements of phenomena in the universe in the context of both natural and religious laws.

    The world is not repeating, symmetrical, similar, circular or irrational but has definite and rational path up on which there are different levels of absoluteness, unity and purification.

    And mathematics both in its algebra and geometry primarily serves for measuring phenomena in the universe. But by the present mathematical knowledge framework there are infinite repeating and irrationality. If the trigonometric and logarithmic functions are taken as example most of the solutions obtained are not definite rather approximate. This is because the present conservative mathematics accepts this as truth but in fact not. Phenomena in the universe can be measured definitely without being repeating or irrational. How the fact of being repeating and irrational resulted from is provided in this book and tries to give new formulation by providing new equation named here as aleyirga equation. By this equation it is possible to prove solutions obtained from Einstein equation and trigonometric function which is based on Pythagoras theorem are terminating rational.

    For example, if a teacher is asked about the square root of 2 or cubic root of 3 or the nth root of 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, etc., his reply is it is irrational. And if he is asked about the value of 1/3, 1/6, 2/9, 1/9, 2/9,etc., his answer is it is repeating. This is based on the irrational or circular mathematical knowledge foundation. In this book it is proved that the above replies for the questions are not valid truth as to measurement of phenomena in the universe by providing exact and definite solution without leaving uncertainty or approximation using aleyirga equation.


    The development of this kind of mathematics will have enormous advantage in information, engineering or physics by providing definite measurement and exact target. Hence it leaves home work for teachers and professors and academicians to revise school texts and research manuals by liberating themselves from conservative knowledge and help students be creative and innovative.

    The problems in the present global regime and their sources is also the other aspect of this book. The different principal conflicts natural cause and what the international community at the sphere level and individuals at the point level have to do are dealt by considering the human mind and technology trend, global morality and social contract by raising the issue of international citizenship.

    Generally theory which is not exclusive as scientific philosophy or religious philosophy but on their adjacent areas and leading towards unity is formulated. It is not only alternative formulation but also provides new frames to give response for problems. By laying the foundation as to the law of nature it deals with that of mathematics and social trend within this framework . It is not exclusive of either materialism or idealism. By providing overlapping area for materialism and religion it tries to substantiate that the universe is not governed by the law of circularity and irrationality within the truth and laws of unity.

    I wish you all happy reading.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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