The number pi is the ratio of the diameter of a circle to its circumference. It sounds boring, but its decimals run ad infinitum and never repeat themselves. This means that they probably also contain your date of birth, your EMŠO and your bank account number.
Pi (π) is more than just a number, over the years it has become a cult symbol of mathematics and its fans. Pi appears wherever there is a circle: from the sun we observe in the sky, the spiral of the double helix of our DNA, the pupil of our eye, the meandering river, to the concentric circles formed when we throw stones into a pond, puddle or sea. But pi can also be shown to us in completely ordinary, even random experiments.
The birthday of Wave 202, June 16, 1972, is located at the 23246th place in the number of pi: π = 3.141 … 7192 [6-16-72] 883491 …
“I’m doing everything to break the record of 10,000 decimals”
Among other things, the number pi is special in that it has an infinite number of decimal places that never begin to repeat, so reciting this number is quite a challenge. Memorizing numbers can be a good method for training memory, which, despite all modern electronic and online gadgets, is still a valued value and indispensable skill in many professions. The memory magician, who held the record for memorizing the number pi in our country for three years in a row and even made a master’s thesis out of it, not at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, but at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television, is Nik Škrlec. He says the biggest challenge for him is saying the numbers correctly after you learn them. “But to say 70,000, which is a world record, is worthy of respect. But is it possible… There is one such challenge in front of me too. I’m doing everything to break the record of 10,000 decimal places. Maybe next year.”
Pi-onir of reciting the number pi
Today is 3/14, or in the US date format 3/14, which is also the first three digits of pi.
The first pi day was celebrated on March 14, 1988 in San Francisco, that is exactly 35 years ago. This day, on which the scientist Albert Einstein was born in 1897, and the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018, is today also considered the International Day of Mathematics. The day is marked all over the world with many events, mostly competitions in memorizing the decimals of the number pi. The person who deserves the fact that such a competition has been held in Slovenia for many years is the physicist dr. Simon Čopar.
About mathematics and its role in society
We are unjustifiably afraid of mathematics a little too much, because it is an extremely useful science, one of the oldest sciences, which is indispensable in the most diverse fields of science. dr. Andrej Bauer is an excellent popularizer of mathematics, a professor with one of the highest grades at the faculty and a penetrating researcher,
In mathematics, engineering and technology, women are still underrepresented
If you turn into the Mathematics building, on one of the floors you can find an interesting exhibition of portraits of famous female mathematicians who are currently creating and driving mathematics around the world. And it is very interesting to read their thoughts on mathematics, among other things one of them remarked: When you look at the world pessimistically, mathematics is still there – it is not affected by climate change, arguments, politics or economics. Yes, as if we were in a bubble… But this bubble is far from immune to some problems in society, not everything is rosy even in relation to the position of women. Astrophysicist and science communicator dr. Dunja Fabjan.
Mathematicians in disguise
Jan Peteh from Joker Out, boxer Emma Kozina journalist Slavko Jeričcryptographer dr. Nastja Cepak and the mathematician behind the pandemic model in our country, dr. Janez Žibert.
From the Bible to super computers
The story of pi is also the story of the history of human ingenuity. The number pi has been a kind of unknown known to us for thousands of years, many of the most ingenious mathematicians of their time struggled in the search for its decimals, until at the end they handed over the baton to computers, which today come up with incredible calculations of decimals of pi. How the history of this mysterious number went. Prof. explains. Urban JezernikFaculty of Mathematics and Physics.
Music and math
Music and mathematics are much more similar than it seems at first glance, says Dr. Dear Kunej.
Because I like to count and play with numbers, that’s what I know best
On pi day, many schools around Slovenia are mathematically inspired. It is particularly varied at Prule Elementary School in Ljubljana, where they are preparing a series of workshops and an interschool competition in quoting the number pi. They are so enthusiastic about mathematics that they even wrote their very own song about pi.
Memorize 10,123 decimal places of pi
For now, the Slovenian record holder is a student Tibor Thank youtwo years ago he recited more than 10,000 decimals by heart.
What do toothpicks have with the number pi?
Pi appears wherever there is a circle: from the sun we observe in the sky, the spiral of the double helix of our DNA, the pupil of our eye, the meandering river, to the concentric circles formed when we throw stones into a pond, puddle or sea. But pi can also be shown to us in completely ordinary, even random experiments. The following helped us with experiments: prof. Aleš MohoričFaculty of Mathematics and Physics, and students of Vič High School.
Morning warm-up with numbers
Without the number pi, there would be no morning alarm clock, no clock, no today’s date, no phone numbers, no bank account. Our life is so saturated with numbers that we don’t even notice it anymore. In fact, we are indifferent to numbers, moreover, the majority of people have an almost dismissive attitude towards them. Well, then we also have a group that is not even that negligibly small and that looks for and finds numbers and patterns in virtually everything. Our morning guest is one of them Gregor Pavličretired mathematics professor and author of the book On the carousel of numbers.
Source: Rtvslo
