Pi Day

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For National Pie Day, see American Pie Council.
Pi Day
File:Prince-of-pi.jpg
Larry Shaw, the organizer of the first Pi Day celebration at the Exploratorium in San Francisco
Significance 3, 1, and 4 are the three most significant figures of π
Celebrations Pie eating, discussions about π[1]
Date March 14
Next time March 14, 2025 (2025-03-14)
Frequency annual
Related to Pi Approximation Day
Pi Pie at Delft University
Pi Pie at Delft University

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Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day date format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π.[2][3][4][5] In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day.[6]

Pi Approximation Day is observed on July 22 (22/7 in the day/month date format), since the fraction ​22⁄7 is a common approximation of π, which is accurate to two decimal places and dates from Archimedes.[7]

History

The earliest known official or large-scale celebration of Pi Day was organized by Larry Shaw in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium,[8] where Shaw worked as a physicist,[9] with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies.[10] The Exploratorium continues to hold Pi Day celebrations.[11]

On March 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution (HRES 224),[6] recognizing March 14, 2009 as National Pi Day.[12] For Pi Day 2010, Google presented a Google Doodle celebrating the holiday, with the word Google laid over images of circles and pi symbols.[13]

The entire month of March 2014 (3/14) was observed by some as "Pi Month".[14][15] In the year 2015, Pi Day had special significance on 3/14/15 (mm/dd/yy date format) at 9:26:53 a.m. and also at p.m., with the date and time representing the first 10 digits of π.[16] That same second also contained a precise instant corresponding to all of the digits of π.[17]

Observance

Pi Day has been observed in many ways, including eating pie, throwing pies and discussing the significance of the number π, due to a pun based on the words "pi" and "pie" being homophones in English (pronunciation: /paɪ/), as well as pies tending to be round, and thus related to π.[1]

Massachusetts Institute of Technology has often mailed its application decision letters to prospective students for delivery on Pi Day.[18] Starting in 2012, MIT has announced it will post those decisions (privately) online on Pi Day at exactly 6:28 pm, which they have called "Tau Time", to honor the rival numbers pi and tau equally.[19][20] In 2015, the regular decisions were put online at 9:26 AM, following that year's "pi moment".[21]

The town of Princeton, New Jersey, hosts numerous events in a combined celebration of Pi Day and Albert Einstein's birthday, which is also March 14.[22] Einstein lived in Princeton for more than twenty years while working at the Institute for Advanced Study. In addition to pie eating and recitation contests, there is an annual Einstein look-alike contest.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Landau, Elizabeth (2010-03-12). "On Pi Day, one number 'reeks of mystery'", CNN. Retrieved on 2010-03-14 from http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/12/pi.day.math/index.html.
  2. ↑ Dagens Nyheter - Article in the biggest Swedish newspaper Read 2015-03-14
  3. ↑ Liber - a big Swedish school book publisher Read 2015-03-14
  4. ↑ Program on Sveriges Radio - Swedish national radio company Read 2015-03-14
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 United States. Cong. House. Supporting the designation of Pi Day, and for other purposes. 111th Cong. Library of Congress.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/keep-your-eyes-to-the-skies
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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