50 Facts About Pi

Pi is the most recognized mathematical constant in the world. Scholars often consider Pi the most important and intriguing number in all of mathematics.e

In the Star Trek episode “Wolf in the Fold,” Spock foils the evil computer by commanding it to “compute to last digit the value of pi.”d

Comedian John Evans once quipped: “What do you get if you divide the circumference of a jack-o'-lantern by its diameter? Pumpkin π.”d

Scientists in Carl Sagan’s novel Contact are able to unravel enough of pi to find hidden messages from the creators of the human race, allowing humans to access deeper levels of universal awareness.d

The symbol for pi (π) has been used regularly in its mathematical sense only for the past 250 years.c

During the famed O.J. Simpson trial, there were arguments between defense attorney Robert Blasier and an FBI agent about the actual value of pi, seemingly to reveal flaws in the FBI agent’s intellectual acumen.d

A Givenchy men’s cologne named Pi is marketed as highlighting the sexual appeal of intelligent and visionary men.h

We can never truly measure the circumference or the area of a circle because we can never truly know the value of pi. Pi is an irrational number, meaning its digits go on forever in a seemingly random sequence.f

Darren Aronofsky’s fascinating movie π (Pi: Faith in Chaos) shows how the main character’s attempt to find simple answers about pi (and, by extension, the universe) drives him mad. The film won the Directing Award at the 1988 Sundance Film Festival.g

Both π and the letter p are the sixteenth letter in the Greek and English alphabets, respectively

In the Greek alphabet, π (piwas) is the sixteenth letter. In the English alphabet, p is also the sixteenth letter.d

The letter π is the first letter of the Greek word “periphery” and “perimeter.” The symbol π in mathematics represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. In other words, π is the number of times a circle’s diameter will fit around...