Let's hear it for majmattmason for starting the thread
(sound of intermittent cheering in the back ground)
My fav pi thing is the so-called Monte Carlo method
where you draw a circle (as i recall) whose diameter
is the length of a needle and then you randomly
drop the needle and the probabability that the
needle touches the circle is something line 1 in
pi odds.
I've had MORE arguments about pi than any other
number (well, other than infinity - if it IS a
number). The most bizare of which is whether the
digits of pi are random or not.
Methinks - yes. But then (sed this really much
brighter chap than i'll ever even hope to be) how
can you calculate it using an algorithm? (as
i recall there's an infinite fraction that does
the trick). Since the algoritm is finite and
straight forward (that it is it doesn't change,
evolve, etc) - how can it calculate something
that's actually INFINITELY random.
oh, well. me? I just create a new CLASS of
randomness:
1) True randomness
2) Pi
3) Chaos
4) Peroidic things that eventually do repeat
5) Things which aren't random, but can't be
predicted (i think maybe chaos fits here,
or else the so-called "catastrophy theory")
6) Mostly probable things
7) My chances of winning the lottery
(a dead certainty to NOT happen).
And of course hope *everyone* will at least TRY
to square the circle! It'll always be just
"3.1416" when i first encountered it.
and of course, we all *have* to watch Aronofski's
??sp?? film "pi" with Sean Gillete ??sp??....
-- circularly yours, frank.
** bonus track: such a geek am i, that i used
to circle pages 314 in my maths books **
also, i'd paste a copy of pi here, but the
system keeps telling me i'm limited to only
2000 characters - what gives??
