pi symbol
In mathematics, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. [1]
That the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle is constant (namely, pi) has been recognized for as long as we have written records. [2]
We know the math pi symbol can be very confusing for beginning math students, but don’t worry, its not that bad. [3]
Some infinite decimals do have patterns - for instance, the infinite decimal.3333333… has all 3’s to the right of the decimal point, and in the number.123456789123456789123456789… the sequence 123456789 is repeated. [4]
Pi represents the circumference of a circle with radius equal to 0.5. [3]
By definition, pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. [4]
The first to use this symbol was early English mathematicians was William Oughtred and Issac Borrow to designate the circumference, or periphery, of a circle. [5]
The pi symbol is really just a letter of the Greek alphabet. [3]
The first theoretical calculation of a value of pi was that of Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BCE), one of the most brilliant mathematicians of the ancient world. [2]
We know that the Egyptians and the Babylonians knew about the existence of the constant ratio pi, although they didn’t know its value nearly as well as we do today. [4]
The irrational number obtained by dividing the length of the diameter of a circle into its circumference. [1]
An eighteenth-century French mathematician named Georges Buffon devised a way to calculate pi based on probability. [2]
For many purposes you can use 3.14159, which is really pretty good, but if you want a better approximation you can use a computer to get it. [4]
Archimedes’s results rested upon approximating the area of a circle based on the area of a regular polygon inscribed within the circle and the area of a regular polygon within which the circle was circumscribed. [2]
… although many mathematicians have tried to find it, no repeating pattern for pi has been discovered - in fact, in 1768 Johann Lambert proved that there cannot be any such repeating pattern. [4]
Sources:
[1] pi: Definition from Answers.com
[2] The Amazing History of Pi
[3] Discover the “Math Pi Symbol” Pi
[4] About Pi - Ask Dr. Math Math Forum
[5] Pi Symbol - Ask.com