Happy Pi Day!

For math geeks, which includes me, today is a special day. March 14th is known in mathematical circles, pardon the pun, as Pi Day, pi being the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is approximately 3.141592653589793238462…. or 3.14 (get it). Of course, pi is an irrational number and neither repeats nor terminates and has been around (sorry bout the poor puns) since antiquity. The symbol for pi was first used in mathematics in the early 1700’s and has popularised by Euler. (He’s to math, what Wayne Gretzky is to hockey or Lawrence Welk is to the polka.) It’s also a transcendental (non-algebraic) number, which as everyone knows, means that it is not a root of a non-constant polynomial equation with rational coefficients.

But Pi Day is a big event in math classes across North America and throughout the world – believe it or not. Here’s a good article from CNN about Pi Day, the bad rap it has taken over the past several years and how  it is under attack - math geeks are known to be a radical group. (again, sorry)

And here's a touching rendition of "American Pi" by a high school teacher in the US. Why he never won an Grammy award is beyond me. The lyrics are included - in case you want to learn the song.



A long long time ago,
I can still remember how
Trig. tables used to take awhile.
I knew if I had my chance that
I could make my slide-rule dance
and make my teacher happy for a while.

But teaching high school made me quiver
and every quiz that I delivered;
Bad grades on the papers
stunk worse than marker vapors.

I can't remember if I cried when I
learned I had to teach applied (math)
but something touched me deep inside
the day we sang of Pi.

CHORUS:

Circumference divided by diameter's Pi.
Whoever noticed that was a really smart guy.
The kids I have in algebra they often ask "Why
do we have to learn this stuff", then they cry
I say "You won't learn it if you don't try."

Did you bring your book of Math? and
do you follow the college path
if your teacher tells you so?
Now do your insides get nice and warm
when you use the slope-intercept form
and can you tell me where the first dot goes?

Well, I know you love two-column proofs
and your GPA is through the roof.
You got a TI-89.
You're graphin' parabolas and lines.

Well I really dig Geometry.
Ditto for Trigonometry,
but I'm absolutely filled with glee
the day we sang of Pi.

We started singing:

CHORUS
I taught a boy whose grades were great.
Asked him if he could integrate.
He just smiled and said "no doubt".
Then I went down to the old school store
where I bought some pencils years before
but the girl there said the lead had all run out.

And in the halls the freshmen scream,
the sophomores laugh and the juniors dream.
The seniors soon graduating -
their hearts are palpitating.

And the things that I think are most cool
like Newton and Pythagorus's rule
is stuff that I learned back in school
when I first heard about Pi.

And now I'm singing:

CHORUS