Love More It’s 3.14: A summary of the history of Pi
The concept of pi (π) has been known for almost 4,000 years, and it represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. This ratio is constant for all circles and is approximately equal to 3.14159. Pi is a part of ancient math that we are still trying to figure out.
The origin of π’s approximation can be traced back to the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, who had their respective approximations of π. For example, a Babylonian tablet (ca. 1900-1680 BCE) suggests a value of 3.125 for π, while the Egyptian Rhind Papyrus (ca. 1650 BCE) implies a value of about 3.1605.
The ancient Greeks built on these frameworks, understanding the significance of π. Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BCE) is one of the most notable figures in this endeavor. He used the method of inscribing and circumscribing polygons around a circle to approximate π, arriving at values between 3.1408 and 3.1429, a remarkable achievement for the time.
The pursuit to understand and calculate π more accurately continued through the ages, with mathematicians in the Islamic Golden Age, the Middle Ages in Europe, and the Renaissance making contributions. The development of calculus in the 17th century by Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz allowed for even more precise calculations of π. In the 18th and 19th centuries, mathematicians like Leonhard Euler and Carl Friedrich Gauss contributed further to its study.
The symbol “π” itself was first used in 1706 by William Jones, but the understanding and approximation of π date back much further. Today, with the help of computers, π has been calculated to trillions of decimal places. Still, the fascination with this irrational number dates back to the earliest quests to understand geometry and the world around us.
We Love More Dr.Bruce 