Chronology of computation of π
Ok kiddo, so let's talk about how people have been figuring out the number pi for a very long time. Pi is a special number that is used in math to help figure out things like how big a circle is and how much space is inside it.
A long time ago, people started trying to figure out what pi was by measuring the circumference (going around the circle) and diameter (going through the middle of the circle) of circles. They found that no matter how big or small the circle was, if you divide the circumference by the diameter, you always get the same number, which is pi.
Later on, people started using math to figure out pi instead of just measuring it. One of the first people to do this was Archimedes, who lived over 2000 years ago. He used a special method called the "method of exhaustion" to get a very close approximation of pi. He did this by drawing a polygon (a shape with straight sides) inside and outside of a circle and figuring out the perimeter (going around the shape) of each polygon. Then he added more and more sides to the polygon to make it closer and closer to a circle. By doing this, he got a much more accurate estimate of pi.
Later on, other people came up with different ways to figure out pi, such as using infinite series (a formula that goes on forever) and calculus (a branch of math that deals with rates of change). These methods were much faster and more accurate than the methods used by Archimedes and his contemporaries.
Today, we use computers to calculate pi to many, many digits (numbers after the decimal point). We use special algorithms (sets of instructions) to do this, and some of these algorithms can calculate pi to trillions of digits! That's a lot of pi!
A long time ago, people started trying to figure out what pi was by measuring the circumference (going around the circle) and diameter (going through the middle of the circle) of circles. They found that no matter how big or small the circle was, if you divide the circumference by the diameter, you always get the same number, which is pi.
Later on, people started using math to figure out pi instead of just measuring it. One of the first people to do this was Archimedes, who lived over 2000 years ago. He used a special method called the "method of exhaustion" to get a very close approximation of pi. He did this by drawing a polygon (a shape with straight sides) inside and outside of a circle and figuring out the perimeter (going around the shape) of each polygon. Then he added more and more sides to the polygon to make it closer and closer to a circle. By doing this, he got a much more accurate estimate of pi.
Later on, other people came up with different ways to figure out pi, such as using infinite series (a formula that goes on forever) and calculus (a branch of math that deals with rates of change). These methods were much faster and more accurate than the methods used by Archimedes and his contemporaries.
Today, we use computers to calculate pi to many, many digits (numbers after the decimal point). We use special algorithms (sets of instructions) to do this, and some of these algorithms can calculate pi to trillions of digits! That's a lot of pi!
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