Chris Green wrote re pi: >I particularly love the line: "It [pi] is usually written out to a >maximum of three decimal places, as 3.141, in math textbooks." Where do >journalists get this stuff? I have NEVER seen it written to three >decimals like this, primarily (I presume) because it would be INACCURATE >to do so. If it were to be rounded off after three decimals, it would be >3.14*2*. But in any case, I have almost always seen it rounded off as >3.14 or 3.1416.
In the old days, when we used something called "log tables", all calculations in schools in the UK were performed to four significant figures. Thus pi would usually be taken as equal to 3.142 (unless otherwise stated). I suggest that not having used log tables in school may be used to designate someone as "young". -:) Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org/ ----------------------------------------- Wed, 04 Oct 2006 11:31:39 -0400 Author: "Christopher D. Green" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Man recites pi to 100,000 places - Yahoo! News > Something for him to do between clients I suppose. > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061004/ap_on_fe_st/memorizing_pi > > I particularly love the line: "It [pi] is usually written out to a > maximum of three decimal places, as 3.141, in math textbooks." Where do > journalists get this stuff? I have NEVER seen it written to three > decimals like this, primarily (I presume) because it would be INACCURATE > to do so. If it were to be rounded off after three decimals, it would be > 3.14*2*. But in any case, I have almost always seen it rounded off as > 3.14 or 3.1416. > > Pedantically annoyed, > Chris > > -- > Christopher D. Green > Department of Psychology > York University > Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 > Canada > > 416-736-5115 ex. 66164 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.yorku.ca/christo > ============================= --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
