Today, March 14th (3/14) we celebrate Pi Day!
Pi (the Greek letter) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.
According to PiDay.Org, Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits.
According to Dr. Math, Pi Day activities are meant to enrich and deepen students' understanding of the concept of pi. Activities might include investigations of the value of pi, special pi projects, and parties with pizza or other kinds of "pi." Because pi is 3.14159…, some schools hold their big Pi Day celebrations 3/14 at exactly 1:59 p.m.