Pi, pi... WHEN DOES IT END!

[A_Li_N]

I have been looking into this for awhile now and I have been trying to solve some of the algorithms etc... And I was just wondering some other peoples thoughts on this? Will pi ever repeat? How can scientists even find pi to so many decimal spots...? I don't know, what do you think?

 

[FlubbyWubs]

A lot of time, patience, and errors.

We wouldn't be able to do it, at least I wouldn't be able too - I would go insane.

 

[wtp]

Us humans are incapable of completely understanding infinite.

 

[lumpkinlane257]

pi is a ratio of the circumference to the diameter.

simple represenation: 22/7, 3+(1/7), 3.14

most accurate: 1080/343


as for how people with no life calculate it out to trillions of numbers for hopes of a repeatable pattern from a IRRATIONAL number (irrational = a number not written as a fraction aka no pattern or repeating). As for calculating it in a computer, no-lifers program a different series into the computer and let it go.

want to see all them series they use? http://functions.wolfram.com/Constants/Pi/06/

have fun.

 

[ironblade87]

pi is a ratio of the circumference to the diameter.

simple represenation: 22/7, 3+(1/7), 3.14

most accurate: 1080/343


as for how people with no life calculate it out to trillions of numbers for hopes of a repeatable pattern from a IRRATIONAL number (irrational = a number not written as a fraction aka no pattern or repeating). As for calculating it in a computer, no-lifers program a different series into the computer and let it go.

want to see all them series they use? http://functions.wolfram.com/Constants/Pi/06/

have fun.

1080/343 is nowhere close to pi. In fact, 22/7 is much nearer to pi, compared to that silly number you conjured out of nowhere.

The people who solve pi are mostly math professors, with various degrees in mathematics. They get paid for it, and much more than the hamburger flippers in MacDonalds.

As to what pi is, this concept is actually quite simple. It is the ratio of the circumference to the diametre. This image below should help explain this more clearly.

 

[Macroman]

It doesn't end, It keeps going on. It's a pain in the ass really.

Due to the transcendental nature of π, there are no closed expressions for the number in terms of algebraic numbers and functions. Therefore numerical calculations must use approximations of π. For many purposes, 3.14 or 22/7 is close enough, although engineers often use 3.1416 (5 significant figures) or 3.14159 (6 significant figures) for more accuracy. The approximations 22/7 and 355/113, with 3 and 7 significant figures respectively, are obtained from the simple continued fraction expansion of π.

* 3 years ago

Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi

 

[A_Li_N]

Yea it kind of is amazing to think that something so simple can go on forever? I just want to know how scientists find this number what is the closest algorithm to find it?

 

[S P 3 3 D Z]

to be 100% honest. i don't think anybody noes the actual number of pi. even if a computer simulated it how does it no anything about it? i think its just some sort of number we made up... theres no way anything is capable of making something infinite. no machine could hold that much space

 

[Eluveitie]

3.141592654 is all the numbers I can get on my calculator. It doesn't show the others.

 

[333]

it's surprising how many numbers go on forever. but pi is one of the few that has random numbers in there

 

[shakaka]

Have fun topping over one trillion digits on your own.

http://list.terc.edu/pipermail/maine-math/2002-December/000318.html

You're not going to find the end before that computer does.

EDIT:

The Hitachi supercomputer is capable of 2 trillion calculations per
second, or twice as fast as the one used for the current Guinness
record calculation.

 

[Depend]

Ehh, I think whenever I want it to end it will end. Pretty crazy to think about just random endless stream numbers of pi with no ending.

Could become somewhat of a pain to think of at times.