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111 Years Ago, Indiana Almost Legislated Pi
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "On February 5, 1897, 111 years ago today, the Indiana legislature very nearly passed a bill 'introducing a new mathematical truth,' that would have erroneously established pi as the ratio 'five-fourths to four' or 3.2. The story explaining the rationale behind the bill and how they were prevented from legislating it when a real mathematician intervened is quite interesting, because the man who discovered the 'new mathematical truth' wanted to charge royalties, which could have made pi the first form of irrational property."
Then again, maybe I'll patent 22/7 as a good way to approximate pi. I heard that intellectual property is all the rage nowadays.
Introduced by Record
IN THE SENATE
Read first time and referred to
committee on Temperance, February 11th, 1897
Reported favorable February 12th, 1897
Read second time and indefinitely postponed February 12, 1897
sounds to me like they just never got a Round Tuit
There was an attempt to outlaw i and it's use in mathematical equations. Lawmakers who objected to its use complained that it wasn't real and their constituents required too much imagination to accept it.
Terrorists can't threaten a country's freedom and democracy. Only lawmakers and voters can do that.
"the American Mathematical Monthly, the leading exponent of mathematical thought in this country."
Nice word choice
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
"It is impossible to compute the area of a circle on the diameter as the linear unit without trespassing upon the area outside of the circle to the extent of including one-fifth more area than is contained within the circle's circumference, because the square on the diameter produces the side of a square which equals nine when the arc of ninety degrees equals eight."
Not that other countrys' are any better, I suppose
politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
Anyone with education knows that Pi, the other irrational numbers, and most of Mathematics were invented either by Pagans, Muslim integrists or Communists. The bible speaks of 2 animals of each kind and division of children by two. No square roots, no integration.
Is there any mention to that 3.1415926... thing in it? Yes. It's called Satan, and the scientists use it to justify silly THEORIES such as evolution, TOE and heliocentrism.
If you want to be a good Christian, you must reject those diabolic numbers. You can keep using computers, as they abide by God's rules, but better make sure that you limit your programming to Integer BASIC and Assembly(avoiding the FP instructions).
This happened 111.19 years ago, you must remember to include the leap years.
Genesis 1:32 And God typed
it's been known for thousands of years that pi equals three. it says so in the bible, so it must be true.
No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness.
--Sheikh Abd-Al-Kadir, 1587
One can only assume the proposal was made by Bloody Stupid Johnson.
It may not be just, but it is fair, and that is more important.
Here you go.
Attack its weak point for massive damage!
1897, c'mon slashdot this really is old news!
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
In Soviet Russia, transcendental irrationality legislates you !
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
I hope we read this in about 100 years
I hope so to. It'll mean we're not dead, and we've still got our eyesight.
Professor Karmadillo Songs of Science
Perhaps in another century or so they'll be able to decide on a time-zone.
The problem is that it's the same logic and methodology that lets fundamentalist Christians abuse gays and reject evolution. Take a portion of the Bible literally, throw out anything that contradicts it (for these purposes), and raise a stink.
The Bible clearly shows the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is 3. Your talk of significant digits is just trying to draw worship away from God.
I didn't come from no monkey.
I'd like to file a motion that we observe this 111th anniversary as the centennial. The number 100 is more convenient and aesthetically pleasing.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
Concerned readers of the rather lurid tale above may rest assured that its scandalous contents are entirely false.
Mr. Pi is a well known and well respected number in the mathematical community, who despite its irrational tendencies, has won the hearts of all decent magnitudes with its transcendental nature. A nature one might add, which intrinsically prevents it from appearing at the roots of any finite order equation, let alone one of only seventeenth order.
Mr. Pi is a good friend to many highly respected mathematical families such as the Trigonometric Functions and the Elliptic Functions. It is also known for its generous community work, appearing in many Geometrical texts and Physics equations, and in general is known far and wide for not holding itself above the common constant, despite its fame and status.
Mr. Pi has been known for years as a wonderful role model and teacher for polynomials of a small degree, particularly for second order equations. It has opened up worlds of possibility and inspired these young equations for many years, and it would be a great shame if this false, cruel and libelous fiction caused an end to those efforts.
I urge readers to reject and condemn this utterly false, malicious and libelous insult upon a good member of the mathematical community. We must not abandon the rigor and scruple that our community is renowned for, and succumb to emotive reasoning. The reader may be assured that however rational their coefficients, seventeenth order equations are known to come across irrational roots, of any multiplicity, all by themselves!
May the Maths Be with you!
I don't mind giving ownership of Pi to some clever patent lawyer. But no sneaking using a mathematical symbol. We need to know the EXACT value they want to patent. So they would first have to write down ALL the digits before I would be willing to hand over the patent.
In fact, I propose that we begin this process right now. Something as widely used as Pi is sure to bring in billions. We need to get ALL the lawyers busy writing down the digits of Pi immediately.
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.