The idea of a number that is irrational and never ends somehow resonates with my life. Perhaps it does with other folks too, and that's why it has become so popular.
My knowledge of pi being hazy at best, I decided to do a little research via the Google.
Today is a very special Pi Day, because it only happens once every century. With the year being 2015, we honor the first five digits of pi: 3.1415.Going one step further, if you figure in the hour, minutes and seconds as well, you can extend the streak to 10 digits: 3.141592653 (9:26:53). There is some controversy among folks who follow such things as to whether this occurs once or twice today. (I guess that depends on whether you run on military time.)
Thanks to the internets, I also learned that the Greek letter π symbolizes pi because it is the first letter of the Greek word for perimeter, περίμετρος.
All of this falderal got me wondering. National holidays like Pi Day are a relatively new phenomenon. Pi Day was declared in 1988. Not to be confused with National Pig Day (what a difference a letter makes), which, sorry you missed it, took place on March 1st.
Are all of these national holidays merely a diversion from our otherwise lackluster days? I don't know. What I do know is that, although Mathematics and I have had an on-again, off-again sort of relationship over the years, one thing remains constant.
My love for pie. Pass the French Silk, please!
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