Originally defined as the ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter, pi — written as the Greek letter π — appears throughout mathematics, including in areas that are completely ...
When my students grow too dependent on their calculators, I ask them to find a number that, when multiplied by itself, gives them 2. Students quickly see that since 1² = 1 and 2² = 4, the answer has ...
What if Pi Day, perhaps the best known mathematical holiday, was actually better celebrated in the summer? Currently falling on March 14 — 3/14, in honor of the first three digits of the infamous ...
What is the most bizarre real number that you can imagine? Probably many people think of an irrational number such as pi (π) or Euler’s number. And indeed, such values can be considered “wild.” After ...
What is the largest natural number possible? By using the word natural, I have ruled out the possibility that you simply answer infinity (∞) to torpedo the guessing game. But even if we allowed ...
What you’ll get is a pretty good estimate of the irrational number pi (3.14159...). To celebrate Pi Day this year, here are ...