How many decimals of Pi do you remember?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the memorization of the digits of Pi, exploring personal experiences, motivations, and the perceived utility of such memorization. Participants share how many digits they remember, their methods for memorization, and their thoughts on the relevance of memorizing Pi in practical scenarios.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant claims to have memorized 150 digits of Pi and practices learning more each day.
  • Others express skepticism about the usefulness of memorizing Pi to such lengths, with some stating they only remember a few digits.
  • Some participants suggest that memorizing Pi can be a fun way to keep the mind active or serve as a memory exercise.
  • A few participants mention alternative activities for improving coordination or mental focus, such as juggling or sniping.
  • There are humorous exchanges about the practicality of using calculators versus memorizing Pi.
  • One participant recalls a method of memorizing Pi based on a quote from Einstein, linking it to emotional calmness.
  • Another participant references a historical bill that inaccurately defined Pi, highlighting the variability in its representation.
  • Some participants reflect on their past attempts to memorize Pi, with varying degrees of success.
  • There are comments about the nature of online discussions and the tendency to revive old threads.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally do not agree on the value of memorizing Pi to many decimal places, with some finding it pointless while others enjoy the challenge. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the practical utility of such memorization.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the limitations of calculators in handling many decimal places of Pi, indicating that practical calculations rarely require such precision. There are also references to personal motivations for memorization that vary widely among participants.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those curious about memory techniques, the cultural significance of Pi, or the interplay between mathematics and personal hobbies.

  • #31
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802775624/?tag=pfamazon01-20 includes one million digits of pi :biggrin:

But in case you need just a few, here are the first ten thousand digits: - http://www.joyofpi.com/pi.html -

and you're in good company - http://www.joyofpi.com/pilinks.html


I had a friend in high school who memorized \sqrt{2} to 200+ decimal places, because e and pi were to mundane. He used to come up to me at my locker and start reciting. :smile: We still keep in contact after 35 years.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691058547/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
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  • #32
I'm another 2 person -- there's too much other things to be doing to go any further :-p
 
  • #33
I have remembered so many digits of pi that I can't recall the exact count.
 
  • #34
I can remember all the digits but not necessarily in the correct order.
 
  • #35
up to 50 digits

since my ast post i have memorized more digits, the last time i posted i told you i can remember up to 32 digits. I can now receit the first 50.

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510
 
  • #36
I had a math teacher that said in grad school he memorized digits of pi to compete with one of his friends. Personally I know 3.14159
 
  • #37
who wants to make a wager...the bet will be " who can memorize the first 100 decimals of pi before the other person" lol
 
  • #38
I just say \pi. No worries about precision
 
  • #39
I say 3.14159265 but then I screw up and say 7 every time even though I know it's wrong. it's just stuck in my head that way. In a pinch I can recite pi to 3000 digits since no one I know can check whether I'm wrong or not
 
  • #40
I just carry with me a gigantic wheel and a ruler at all times. ... this thread should be re-named "the official pi lame-joke-O-rama thread" :smile:
 
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  • #41
Kurdt said:
I can remember all the digits but not necessarily in the correct order.

MY joke, Kurdt. That's MY joke!

In 10th grade I had a 12 digit calculator (1980's HP, the "sideways" kind). If you multiplied pi x 1000, then subtracted 3141, you got an extra 3 digits, for a total of 15 digits. I never bothered to memorize any more than that:
3.14159265358979
 
  • #42
Chi Meson said:
MY joke, Kurdt. That's MY joke!

Thats what happens when ancient threads are resurrected. I can't be expected to read all posts :-p

Anyway it was a rather awful rip off of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQNYUJIW4sw".
 
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  • #43
Astronuc said:
I had a friend in high school who memorized \sqrt{2} to 200+ decimal places, because e and pi were to mundane. He used to come up to me at my locker and start reciting. :smile: We still keep in contact after 35 years.
and he's still reciting?
 
  • #44
At last count, I remember somewhere around 200 digits of pi.
 
  • #45
It has a three in it, right?
 
  • #46
tribdog said:
and he's still reciting?

hahahaha :smile::smile:
 
  • #47
I decided to remember a few this weekend just for kicks...I have 3.141592653589793238.
 
  • #48
gabee said:
I decided to remember a few this weekend just for kicks...I have 3.141592653589793238.

Ha! I knew it!
 
  • #49
tribdog said:
and he's still reciting?
Yes - he still does it, but he's not quite so serious about it.
 
  • #50
Have you ever checked him? once you get three or four digits in you could make it up and no one would know. It's easy to fake being a genius, look at Smurf. I know a guy who mumbles numbers all the time.
 
  • #51
I once gave him a piece of paper with \sqrt{2} to 100+ decimal places. He would have me stand there reading the paper while he recited the number - he didn't fake it. He is now responsible for integration of instrumentation and protection (reactor safety) systems in modern nuclear power plants.
 
  • #52
Tell him to give up on the number and try reciting safety procedures in case of a melt down. priorities man
 
  • #53
tribdog said:
Tell him to give up on the number and try reciting safety procedures in case of a melt down. priorities man


haha tribdog :smile:
 
  • #54
Just to be a complete *******, I'm going to resurrect this post.

By the way: 3.141592653589793238 (18 digits)
 
  • #55
Congratulations, I think we have a winner!

:rolleyes:
 
  • #56
Does 10π count?
 
  • #57
No, Jim, 10π doesn't count. XD
 
  • #58
I used to have a mnemonic system (thanks to my two study hall periods a day in tenth grade), and I ended up memorizing it to about 30 digits. The only ones I remember now are 3.1415926, which is still more than I'll ever need to use...
 
  • #59
HungryFox said:
No, Jim, 10π doesn't count. XD

Doh!
 
  • #60
3.14159265358979

365.24219878

as a lysdexic, I got very po'd memorizing these silly numbers only to find myself getting the last four digits mixed up at the ripe old age of 10. I gave up.

Then in college I discovered you were not supposed to list accuracy past a certain point because it was pointless.

I was very happy that I stopped.

:smile: