It looks obvious

“Things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” — Albert Einstein

Story from the past

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I just run across of story that amused me and I thought to share: In 1897 the legislator of Indiana decided to legislate the value of PI:

It is impossible to compute the area of a circle on the diameter as the linear unit without trespassing upon the area outside of the circle to the extent of including one-fifth more area than is contained within the circle’s circumference, because the square on the diameter produces the side of a square which equals nine when the arc of ninety degrees equals eight. By taking the quadrant of the circle’s circumference for the linear unit, we fulfill the requirements of both quadrature and rectification of the circle’s circumference. Furthermore, it has revealed the ratio of the chord and arc of ninety degrees, which is as seven to eight, and also the ratio of the diagonal and one side of a square which is as ten to seven, disclosing the fourth important fact, that the ratio of the diameter and circumference is as five-fourths to four; and because of these facts and the further fact that the rule in present use fails to work both ways mathematically, it should be discarded as wholly wanting and misleading in its practical applications. 

What does this mean in lay people language? that the Indiana legislatures decided that PI is 3.2 - nice drafted but completely wrong. Why did they do it? because it was given to the state for free!

Conclusions? drew your own.

 

 

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Written by Rogel

November 9th, 2006 at 3:00 am


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