\pi = 3.141 592 653 589 793 238 462
643 383 279 502 884 197 169 399 375 105 820 974 944 592
\dots
\pi \approx 355/113
“A temple on the mountain top, a pot of wine; you are happy but I
am suffering; take the wine and drink, the wine kills you; if it doesn’t
kill you, be happy and happy.”
\pi, a small symbol, represents a great number. From ancient times to the present, people in almost every country have studied it. For a long period, the number of significant digits of \pi represented the level of mathematical development of a country. Before the use of computers, the calculation of \pi was a marathon-like process. People knew 2–4 significant digits very early (Ancient Greece, Ancient China, Ancient India). As is well known, Zu Chongzhi’s calculation of 3.1415926 later led the world for over a thousand years. This was followed by the West’s 35 digits, 100 digits, 500 digits... some people even spent their entire lives just to calculate \pi! Since computers became involved, the number of significant digits has increased at the speed of light. At the end of 2009, scientists used supercomputers to calculate the value of Pi to 2.9 trillion decimal places. Today, the number of digits of \pi is no longer very important (after all, 30 significant digits are completely sufficient to accurately measure the size of the universe!). The calculation of \pi has become a benchmark for testing computer performance and the efficiency of algorithms!
I won’t say much more about the history of Pi, as everyone has likely been in contact with it since elementary school. Coincidentally, the author’s mathematical life also began with Pi.
Ever since I encountered Pi in elementary school, I have always longed for a method to calculate it, wishing to follow in the footsteps of Zu Chongzhi. Starting from the “method of exhaustion” (circle cutting), then to series, then to iterations... it is no exaggeration to say that my mathematical research process has used Pi as a thread. Thus, curiosity and the desire for knowledge led me through the gates of mathematics, where I have continued my research to this day. Pi holds such great significance for my life that I feel many emotions on this Pi Day.
March 14th is the official date for Pi Day, derived from the common approximate value of Pi, 3.14. It is usually celebrated at 1:59 PM to symbolize the six-digit approximation 3.14159. Some people who use 24-hour time celebrate at 1:59 AM or 3:09 PM (15:09). Mathematics departments at universities around the world hold parties to celebrate on this day.
For more information about Pi, you can also visit Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi
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