History of Pi Created by Peter Davidson Image

History of Pi Created by Peter Davidson Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg

What Is Pi? • Equal to the number of times a circle’s diameter will fit around the circle • Approximately 3, 14 • Pi goes on for ever • Decimals have no pattern and don’t repeat • Pi is an irrational number Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg

History of Pi – Early attempts • 1650 BC – Rhind Papyrus Value of 3, 16 probably found by measurement • Bible – 1 Kings 7: 23 Value of 3 (not very accurate) • Archimedes (287 – 212 BC) Calculated between 223/71 and 22/7 Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg

History of Pi – AD (CE) • Tsu Ch’ung Chi (430 – • Newton (1665) 501 AD) Calculated pi to 16 355/ decimal places 113 • Brahmagupta (640) • Ferguson (1946) Value of pi = Calculated pi to 620 = 3, 1622 decimal places • Al-Kashi (1430 Calculated pi to 14 decimal places Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg

History of Pi - Computers • Ferguson (1947) Calculated to 710 places using a desk calulator • Kanada & Takashi (Sept 1999) Used a computer to calculate pi to 206158430000 decimal places Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg

Pi and Different Cultures • Earliest discoveries (BCE) and investigations made by Egyptians and Greek mathematicians • Between 230 AD and 1430 AD further investigation carried out by Chinese, Indian and Arabic mathematicians - why? • More recent discoveries made by Western and Japanese mathematicians Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg

Why is Pi so Fascinating? • Provides an intellectual challenge • Because it exists • Lead to important discoveries in modern mathematics • Can be calculated using sequences of rational numbers • Lead to developments in computer technology Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg

References • Johnson, Y. , Davidson, P. , Jaffer, S. , Galant, S. Maths for all Grade 8. Manzini. Mcmillan Boleswa • Witcombe, C. Earth Mysteries: Notes on Pi. Retrieved 31 March 2003 from http: //witcombe. sbc. edu/earthmysteries/EMPi. html • O’Connor, J. J. & Robertson, E. F. A history of pi. Retrieved 31 March 2003 from http: //www-groups. dcs. stand. ac. uk/~history/Hist. Topics/Pi_through_the_ages. html • O’Connor, J. J. & Robertson, E. F. A chronology of pi. Retrieved 31 March 2003 from http: //www-groups. dcs. stand. ac. uk/~history/Hist. Topics/Pi_chronology. html Image © http: //oz. irtc. org/ftp/pub/stills/1997 -06 -30/cowpi. jpg