Pi, the mathematical number that links circle’s circumference and diameter, has long held a fascination for mathematicians for over four millennia. From Fibonacci and Newton to Leibniz and lesser-known mathematicians like Galois, many spent much of their lives exploring its digits – many taking years if not lifetimes delving deeper. Pi has always held mystique all its own; especially considering its seemingly endless sequence of numbers which some theorize may contain some hidden pattern or message from beyond or even ourselves from outside universe!
Early calculations of pi were mostly empirical in nature, as was noted by Babylonian mathematicians in 2000 BCE who estimated its value to be 3.125; an Egyptian papyrus dating back 1650 BCE known as Rhind Papyrus shows an Egyptian scribe had used 256/81 or 3.16 when using this calculation method.
Archimedes of Syracuse (287 B.C. to 212 B.C.) made major advances in understanding pi, the first irrational number. According to The Exploratorium, Archimedes approximated its area using Pythagorean theorem and regular polygon areas that either inscribed within the circle or circumscribed it; these numbers became upper and lower bounds for area, which Archimedes used as a formula to approximate pi by dividing circumference by area of inscribed polygon plus circumscribed one.
His method wasn’t perfect either; according to The Exploratorium, his use of a table and inaccuracy due to polygon sides being nonlinear led him away from precise measurements.
Over time, mathematicians have continued to make strides forward both in terms of calculations and understanding of pi. William Jones made strides during the seventeenth century to standardize its symbol as “p.” John Machin then proposed a method in 1706 for computing up to 100 decimal places of pi, while in later that decade American mathematician Charles Babbage created a mechanical calculator allowing further calculation of more digits of pi.
Pi has become more than just an intriguing number; it is now integral to scientific computing, from understanding space-time continuum to DNA’s spiral structure. So much so, that popular culture has adopted pi – from television shows and movies (such as Life of Pi, an Oscar winner) have all used pi as part of their plotlines.
Today’s pursuit to understand an irrational number continues with scientists searching for patterns in its digits and computers being developed that can calculate ever-larger numbers of pi digits – with it expected to hit 50 trillion before 2024!