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Calculation of π with a needle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 February 2019

Athina Lorentziadi
Athina Lorentziadi*
Affiliation:
Hellenic American Foundation, Psychiko College, 3rd Grade High School, Athens, Greece e-mail: athinalori@gmail.com
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The number πis perhaps the most famous irrational number. This constant is equal to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. One of the most well-known mathematical problems of antiquity, which is related to π, is how to construct by using a ruler and compasses a square which has the same area as a circle. This particular problem cannot be solved, due to the fact that π is a transcendental number, which means that it cannot be obtained as the root of a polynomial equation with rational coefficients. It was Euler in the 18th century who established the notation π.

Type
Articles
Information
The Mathematical Gazette , Volume 103 , Issue 556 , March 2019 , pp. 111 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © Mathematical Association 2019 

References

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