Rapid Fire
Pi Day
- 19 Mar 2025
- 2 min read
Pi Day, celebrated annually on 14th March, honors the mathematical constant π (pi). The day also coincides with Albert Einstein’s birth anniversary (1879) and the death anniversary of Stephen Hawking (2018).
- Significance of Pi: It represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter and is an irrational, infinite number.
- The Greek letter π was first used in 1706 by Welsh mathematician William Jones, inspired by the words “periphery” and “perimeter”.
- Indian’s Contribution: Aryabhata (476-550 CE), an Indian mathematician and astronomer, calculated an approximate value of pi as 3.1416 in his work "Aryabhatiya."
- The first algorithms to calculate pi to millions of digits were based on formulae published by Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan in 1914.
- Applications of Pi: In mathematics and engineering, Pi is essential for calculating circle properties, wave equations, and structural designs.
- Space agencies like Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) use π for determining orbital paths, satellite positioning, and spacecraft trajectories.
- Even in everyday life, π is used for the construction of domes and bridges, making it a fundamental constant in science and technology.
| Read more: Pi Day |
