WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Enthusiasts of mathematics around the globe, ranging from students to scientists, come together to celebrate Pi Day on March 14, or 3/14, reflecting the first three digits of this infinite and intriguingly practical number.
On this day, many indulge in a slice of pie, whether it’s sweet, savory, or even a pizza pie.
Pi is a mathematical constant representing the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Essential in numerous scientific fields such as physics, astronomy, and engineering, its history stretches back thousands of years to ancient civilizations in Egypt, Babylon, and China.
The concept of Pi Day originated in 1988 when physicist Larry Shaw initiated the celebration at the Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco. It wasn’t until a couple of decades later that the day gained national recognition. In 2009, Congress officially designated March 14 as Pi Day to cultivate a greater interest in math and science. Coincidentally, this day also marks the birth anniversary of Albert Einstein.
The Origin and Significance of Pi
In simple terms, pi serves to calculate a circle’s circumference by measuring the diameter—the straight line spanning the circle’s middle—and multiplying it by 3.14 plus more digits. Known to be a constant and an infinite number, it is mathematically recognized as irrational. Historic figures like Isaac Newton dedicated countless hours manually calculating its decimal places long before the advent of computers. Today, technology has allowed researchers to determine trillions of pi digits, and inherently, there is no conclusion to this series.
The Name and Uses of Pi
The number received its name in 1706 when Welsh mathematician William Jones used the Greek symbol ? for this value. The letter pi was strategically chosen as it corresponds with the first letter in “periphery” and “perimeter”—because pi is the ratio of the circle’s perimeter to its diameter.
Practically speaking, pi is vital for correctly directing antennas towards satellites and is used to determine dimensions in industrial equipment like large cylinders at refineries or even paper rolls in printers. It also plays a crucial role in scaling tanks for heating and air systems in buildings.
At NASA, pi assists in daily tasks, from calculating orbits and planetary positions to aiding with elements of rocket propulsion and spacecraft communication. The number is also key to ensuring the proper deployment of parachutes on spacecraft landing missions.
Impressively, using just the first nine digits of pi, scientists achieve an error margin of only a quarter-inch for every 25,000 miles when calculating Earth’s circumference.
Celebrations and Connections
Beyond math, the San Francisco museum, credited with creating Pi Day, organizes an annual event involving a parade around a circular plaque known as the Pi Shrine—3.14 times—culminating in pie festivities. Across the United States, many colleges also host celebrations on their campuses. For instance, Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, Florida, features a raffle to pie a math professor and a competition to memorize pi’s digits.
Several restaurants and pizza chains join in by offering $3.14 specials in honor of Pi Day. Additionally, NASA conducts an annual Pi Day Challenge online, which includes fun games and puzzles directly inspired by their work.
Einstein’s Contribution
Albert Einstein, one of the most renowned scientists, shares his birthday with Pi Day—March 14, 1879. The infinite concept of pi played a role in his groundbreaking theories, thus, Pi Day also serves to honor his legacy. Interestingly, another celebrated physicist, Stephen Hawking, passed away on March 14, 2018, remarking on the pursuit of perfection: “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”
