Transcript Celebrate Pi Day By Dr. Kevin Ferland Bloomsburg University π Day is 3/14 since π = 3.14159……… with fireworks at 1:59 pm. It is celebrated / recognized in mathematics.

Celebrate
Pi Day
By
Dr. Kevin Ferland
Bloomsburg University
π Day is 3/14
since π = 3.14159………
with fireworks at
1:59 pm.
It is celebrated / recognized in
mathematics classrooms
everywhere!
Formulas
• Defintion: π = C/d
Q: Is it the same for all circles?
• Theorems:
C=πd
C = 2π r
A = π r2
Q: In the area, really!!????
Today is (7+π)-Day
2.5
2
P = 7+π
Mole Day
10/23
Chemistry Classes
Avagadro’s Number 6.02 ×1023
History
The symbol π was first used in
1706 by William Jones in
“Synopsis Palmariorium
Mathesios”
However, its use was popularized by
Euler.
2006 is the 300th Anniversary!!!
2020 will be even better!!!
Pi-Centennial
• Archimedes c. 250 BC proved
A = π r2
• John Lambert 1761 proved
π is irrational.
• Ferdinand von Lindemann
1882 proved
π is transcendental.
More Formulas
S = 4 π r2
V = 4/3 π r3
V = 1/3 π r2 h
S = π r √(r2 + h2)
More Advanced..
1
1
1
1
2
 2  2  2  
2
6
1
2
3
4
1 1 1 1 1 1

      
1 3 5 7 9 11
4
e
i
 1
1
ye
0.8
 x2
0.6
0.4
A 
0.2
-3
-2
-1
1
2
3
Less Advanced
Math Adventure Books by Cindy
Neuschwander
Sir Cumference and the …
… Dragon of Pi
… First Round Table
… Sword in the Cone
… Great Knight of Angleland
Characters
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sir Cumference
Wife: Lady Di of Ameter
Son: Radius
Friend: Vertex
Sword: Edgecalibur
Carpenters: Geo and Sym
of Metry
When Sir Cumference drinks a potion
which turns him into a dragon, his
son Radius searches for the magic
number known as pi which will
restore him to his former shape
Activities
• Digit Memorization Contest
• Keep School Records
The Finley Middle School
records are as follows:
6th grade 70 digits;
7th grade 307 digits and
8th grade 157 digits!
http://www.mathwithmrherte.com
/pi_day.htm
• Measure circles and compute
the ratio of the circumference
to the diameter
• Use cans, plates, frisbees, the
trash can …
• Have each student gather data
• Compute a class average for a
Pi estimation
Jennifer Bettine
Bishop Hafey Jr. High
The Buffon Needle
Experiment
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Drop a needle of length equal to
the distance between the lines
P (cross ) 
2

2  (num berof drops)

num berof crosses
More Activities
• Make a frequency distribution
of the digits of Pi
• Consider a regular n-gon,
use the apothem for the radius
r, use the perimeter for the
circumference C, and define πn
So C = 2 πn r
Note A = πn r2
• Sing Pi Songs (or write some).
Songs
• Happy Pi Day
Happy Pi day to you,
Happy Pi day to you,
Happy Pi day everybody,
Happy Pi day to you.
(to the tune of "Happy Birthday")
• Oh Number PI
Oh, number Pi
Oh, number Pi
Your digits are unending,
Oh, number Pi
Oh, number Pi
No pattern are you sending.
You're three point one four one
five nine,
And even more if we had time,
Oh, number Pi
Oh, number Pi
For circle lengths unbending.
…
(to the tune of "Oh Christmas
Tree")
• "American Pi"
all rights reserved
lyric © 1997- 2005 Lawrence
Mark Lesser
May be sung to the tune of
Don McLean’s “American
Pie”
CHORUS: Find, find the
value of pi,
starts 3 point 1 4 1 5 9.
Good ol’ boys gave it a try,
but the decimal never dies,
The decimal never dies.........
•
•
•
•
•
2. Pi Day SongsThese Pi Day songs were written by
LaVern Christianson, when he was a math teacher ...
To sing a jolly pi day song in a fun math class like this.
(Repeat )
...http://www.winternet.com/~mchristi/piday.html [Found
on Google, Yahoo! Search, Ask Jeeves]
3. Pi DayPi Day Songs These songs were written by
some of Mr. Herte's students ... Song Contest (All
Grades) There are two wonderful Pi Day songs on the
web see the
...http://www.mathwithmrherte.com/pi_day.htm [Found
on Google, Yahoo! Search, Ask Jeeves]
5. americanpi.htmlThen Lambert showed it was a lie to
look for rational pi. He started singing .......... ... So the
bill was left to die Li ke the quest for rational pi.
...http://www.math.utep.edu/Faculty/lesser/americanpi...
[Found on Google, Yahoo! Search]
6. PI DAY WINNERSPI DAY WINNERS. This year, the
6th annual PI DAY was held in Mr. Hoyle's class.
Students had an opportunity to do classwork and enter
various contests to explore, learn and celebrate the
irrational number PI. ... Last year saw the first entrance
of an original Pi song (see below for lyrics). Although
no new songs
...http://users.rcn.com/jhoyle.massed/pi.html [Found on
Yahoo! Search, Ask Jeeves]
8. Here are links to each of my classes in Spring
2000Here are three versions of the Pi Song. Each has
its strengths and weaknesses. Pi Song Live A live
performance by `The Derivatives' at a coffee house in
...http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/kferland/Pi_Songs/songs...
[Found on Google, Ask Jeeves]
Resources
• Search on Pi Day
• Mathematics Educators of
Greater Saint Louis
http://www.mobot.org/education/
megsl/pi.html