How do you get the number pi.

[cubsfan6506]

I mean i no what pi is 3.14 and alot of other numbers. But who discovered pi.

 

[sysyphus]

pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

 

[Masquerouge]

I mean i no what pi is 3.14 and alot of other numbers. But who discovered pi.

The Greeks.

 

[cubsfan6506]

I no youd to radius (or circumference can't remember which.) But why is pie pie.

 

[El_Machinae]

You should spell correctly when asking questions, it helps people feel like you're worth the time.

I asked a similar question!
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=159398

 

[sysyphus]

You mean, why is the Greek letter pi used to represent it?

 

[Riffraff]

I think the greeks had a pretty good approximation (22/7) of it in the BC times. It doesn't take to 'discover' pi either - simply draw a cirlce, cover it with a piece of string and divide the length of the string with the diameter of the circle.

In the modern sense, pi is defined I think as the smallest number for which

cos (x/2) = 0 holds.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

The Greeks.

I've always known that the egyptians discovered it. But i don't have any proof.

 

[Masquerouge]

I've always known that the egyptians discovered it. But i don't have any proof.

He then we would use an egyptian hieroglyph instead of a Greek letter now wouldn't we?

 

[Heretic_Cata]

He then we would use an egyptian hieroglyph instead of a Greek letter now wouldn't we?

Lol - i never thought of that.

 

[Bill3000]

He then we would use an egyptian hieroglyph instead of a Greek letter now wouldn't we?

The letter pi wasn't used for the number pi until 1706, when William Jones' book A New Introduction to Mathematics was published.

 

[ybbor]

hey riff, no fair editing

 

[Riffraff]

so pi = 0 ?

already edited

 

[Masquerouge]

The letter pi wasn't used for the number pi until 1706, when William Jones' book A New Introduction to Mathematics was published.

Yeah, and actually the Babylonians have the earliest known approximation of pi, while the Egyptians have the earliest know document citing it. I was just being a smartass

 

[TheBladeRoden]

It's like the Chinese, they were the first to invent a lot of things but never thought to market the idea.

 

[Bill3000]

Yeah, and actually the Babylonians have the earliest known approximation of pi, while the Egyptians have the earliest know document citing it. I was just being a smartass

Please. You have a long way to master the art of smartassery. a

Anyway, the most common way to find pi is through formulas in analysis; power series and the like. See Wiki for a few examples.

 

[Masquerouge]

It's like the Chinese, they were the first to invent a lot of things but never thought to market the idea.

Rather, they were not Western...

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

I think the greeks had a pretty good approximation (22/7) of it in the BC times. It doesn't take to 'discover' pi either - simply draw a cirlce, cover it with a piece of string and divide the length of the string with the diameter of the circle.

In the modern sense, pi is defined I think as the smallest number for which

cos (x/2) = 0 holds.

you mean number with the smallest magnitude[/nitpick]

 

[sysyphus]

I always maintained that if God were a mathematician he would have made pi = 1

 

[pboily]

to me, that is a proof that there is no God, as a God would necessarily have to be a mathematician. it's my chosen profession, after all, so if it's good enough for me, it would be good enough for old God.