What is Pi Day and why it is celebrated?
Generally, those who have learned Geometry and math are aware of this symbol
March 15, 2024
People are celebrating National Pi Day in the United States and all around the world, especially those who are associated with the field of science as it represents the mathematical symbol of constant.
On this national holiday, people enjoy hanging out, making and sharing desserts, and creating fruitful teachable memories with their loved ones.
Generally, those who have learned Geometry and math are aware of this symbol. It is represented by a Greek letter π. Recently it has been used on clothing and coffee mugs as a new style symbol.
It is used in calculating the area and volume of anything containing a circle or a sphere with the help of equations. It also helps in sizing tiny objects other than large bodies Such as Earth, the moon, and the sun.
According to Manil Suri, a mathematics and statistics professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, pi helps people understand more about the world, the universe, and how they work.
"It's quite amazing that there is such a constant that is true for all circles. That's what really gets me. Draw any circle and the circumference divided by the diameter will always be the same number. It's a little chilling in a way," said Suri in a CBS News report.
"I think, symbolically it just shows that there are certain laws that the universe follows, and these are mathematical, and for me as a mathematician, that's key.
Pi comes up frequently and often unexpectedly in the answers to "thousands and thousands of different math problems," said Daniel Ullman, a mathematics professor at George Washington University.
"The question really is, 'Isn't it amazing that this number arises in millions of different settings that seem to have nothing to do with each other?'" he said.
What is Pi Day?
The Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 every year as the written date numerically corresponds with the first three digits of π.
Coincidently, in 2015, when the numerical date corresponded with π up to five digits: 3.1415 it was the birthday of Albert Einstein.
According to CBS News, Pi had been known by Babylonians and ancient Egyptians and was used by Archimedes, — a mathematician from the ancient.
The day was declared a holiday in 1988.
The day was founded by physicist Larry Shaw, who was part of the Exploratorium staff — a science museum in San Francisco.
While making a connection, between 3.14 and March 14 during the retreat, he founded the first informal Pi Day and then later celebrated it.
Pi Day was recognised after the House of Representatives passed a resolution on March 12, 2009, designating March 14 as National Pi Day.
The website Pi Day, suggests celebrating the day by eating pies, and baking pies, including the observation of the mathematical principles of pi using a pie as a thematic activity.
