Today is 22nd july and is celebrated in the world by Maths geek as Phi approximation day as Phi is approximately equal to 22/7. 14 of March on the other hand is celebrated as Phi day as in American date format it is written as 3/14.
Phi is defined as the ratio of the circumference of the circle to its diameter.
The first Phi day was celebrated at San Fransisco Exploratorium in 1988 with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, and then consuming fruit pies. Now a days Pizza pies are added to its pi day menu. The founder of the Phi day was Larry Shaw, a retired physicist at the Exploratorium.
Mathematicians who approxmiated the value of phi include Archimedes (first to find the approximate value in 200 BC) but I had read in a book that it was Boudhadhanya (Indian mathematician to give the first approximation). 600 years later Chinese mathematician Zu Chongzhi improved on the approximation provided by Archimedes. This was the most accurate estimation for the next 900 years.
Later on in 1400 Indian mathematician Madhavacharya discovered a formula for Phi which was later rediscovered by James Gregory, Lebnitz in 17th century.
Two interesting trivia:
- 14th of March happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday. He was born in the year 1879.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology often mails out its acceptance letters to be delivered to its prospective students on the Pi Day.
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