Happy Pi Approximation Day
Pi Approximation Day celebrates the mathematical constant π (pi). It is observed on July 22, due to π being roughly equal to 22/7.
Bakers Square would be wise to capitalize on this occasion.
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Labels: Misc.
posted by Brad Carlson @ 1:28 PM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Huh. I thought Pi Approximation Day was March 14. That's what I get for using American calendar notation.
March 14 has been designated a sort of "official" day, which I call Pi Day instead of Pi Approximation Day, and do not celebrate.
The problem with March 14 (3.14) is that it is radix-dependent. Pi in base 8 is 3.1104… so it should be celebrated on March 11. Pi in hexadecimal is 3.243F… and should be celebrated on March 24.
Pi Approximation Day is radix-independent because the approximation is based on integer division. It is celebrated on 22/7 (decimal), which is also 26/7 (octal) and 16/7 (hexadecimal), all of which yield the same approximate value of pi in their respective bases.
It's a bit of a purist attitude. But I personally find July 22 a much more flexible and elegant approximation than March 14.
That said, happy upcoming Pi Approximation Day 2010!
@Jamieson. You're mixing your bases there, approximating Pi in base 8 but using base 10 for the date.
If Pi in base 8 is 3.1104 then Pi(8) Day should be March 9th (11 base 8).
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