Both Uses of
pi
in
Nineteen Minutes
- Mr. McCabe, their math teacher, was walking through the rows of desks, tossing a tennis ball against the ceiling and singing a bastardized Don McLean song: 'Bye, bye, what's the value of pi Gotta fidget with the digits Till this class has gone by' Them ninth graders were workin' hard with a sigh Sayin', Mr. McCabe, come on, why?†
Chpt 1pi = mathematics: an important constant representing the circumference of any circle divided by its diameter (about 3.14)
- 'We're not even using pi,' one kid said.†
Chpt 1 *
Definition:
mathematics: an important constant representing the circumference of any circle divided by its diameter (about 3.14)
Pi is about 3.14, but is an irrational number; i.e., with infinite decimals providing a closer approximation.