Why Is Pi Approximation Day Celebrated On July 22? - CNBCTV18

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HomeScience NewsWhy is Pi Approximation Day celebrated on July 22?Why is Pi Approximation Day celebrated on July 22?

Archimedes, one of the greatest ancient mathematicians, first calculated the value of Pi in 250 BC. Now, NASA uses it to calculate spacecraft trajectories.

By CNBCTV18.com July 22, 2022, 7:50:35 AM IST (Published)2 Min Read

A number of people celebrate March 14 as Pi Day as the date lines up in the numbers of the famous constant 3.14. However, such a format of writing dates is mostly followed in the US.

Others opt to celebrate Pi Approximation Day on July 22, representing the fraction 22/7, which is a way of working out an approximate value for Pi.

What is Pi?

Pi is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter of that circle. It is represented as the Greek letter for p or Pi (π). Regardless of the size of the circle, the ratio is always equal to Pi, which is fractionally represented as 22/7 or 3.14 in the decimal form.

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According to the book, A History of Pi by Petr Beckmann, the Greek letter π was first used by William Jones in 1706. It is believed Jones used the letter as an abbreviation of the periphery, which turned into a standard mathematical notation nearly 30 years later.

In 1737, Leonhard Euler adopted and popularised the symbol of Pi. Georges Buffon, an 18th-century French mathematician, invented a way to calculate Pi based on probability.

History of Pi Approximation Day

Pi has been known for nearly 4,000 years with ancient Babylonians using its approximated values to calculate the dimensions of circles.

Archimedes, one of the greatest ancient mathematicians of Syracuse, first calculated the value of Pi in 250 BC. According to Archimedes’ estimates, Pi fell between 31/7 and 3 10/71. This is the reason why Pi is also referred to as the ‘Archimedes’ Constant.’

Also read: Gaganyaan Abort Test mission: All you need to know

Significance

As Pi plays a key role in the calculation of the circumference of a circle, celebrating Pi Approximation Day is of great significance. Even the US space agency NASA uses it to calculate spacecraft trajectories.

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