Pi: A Biography of the World's Most Mysterious Number

by Alfred S. Posamentier, Ingmar Lehmann, Herbert A. Hauptman (Afterword)

Overview

We all learned that the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is called pi and that the value of this algebraic symbol is roughly 3.14. What we weren't told, though, is that behind this seemingly mundane fact is a world of mystery, which has fascinated mathematicians from ancient times to the present. Simply put, pi is weird. Mathematicians call it a "transcendental number" because its value cannot be calculated by any combination of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square root extraction. In this delightful layperson's introduction to one of math's most interesting phenomena, Drs. Posamentier and Lehmann review pi's history from prebiblical times to the 21st century, the many amusing and mind-boggling ways of estimating pi over the centuries, quirky examples of obsessing about pi (including an attempt to legislate its exact value), and useful applications of pi in everyday life, including statistics.This enlightening and stimulating approach to mathematics will entertain lay readers while improving their mathematical literacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633889088
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/01/2023
Pages:	324
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Alfred S. Posamentier is an American educator and a lead commentator on American math and science education, regularly contributing to The New York Times and other news publications. He has created original math and science curricula, emphasized the need for increased math and science funding, promulgated criteria by which to select math and science educators, advocated the importance of involving parents in K-12 math and science education, and provided myriad curricular solutions for teaching critical thinking in math.

Dr. Posamentier was a member of the New York State Education Commissioner's Blue Ribbon Panel on the Math-A Regents Exams. He served on the Commissioner's Mathematics Standards Committee, which redefined the Standards for New York State. And he served on the New York City schools’ Chancellor's Math Advisory Panel.

Posamentier earned a Ph.D. in mathematics education from Fordham University (1973), a master's degree in mathematics education from the City College of the City University of New York (1966) and an A.B. degree in mathematics from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

Ingmar Lehmann is retired from the mathematics faculty at Humboldt University in Berlin. For many years, he led the Berlin Mathematics Student Society for gifted secondary school students, an organization with which he is still closely engaged today.

He is the author of numerous mathematics texts in Germany and the coauthor with Alfred S. Posamentier of some other books, including The Secrets of Triangles, The Glorious Golden Ratio, Magnificent Mistakes in Mathematics, and The Fabulous Fibonacci Numbers.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	7
	Preface	9
Chapter 1	What Is [pi]?	13
Chapter 2	The History of [pi]	41
Chapter 3	Calculating the Value of [pi]	79
Chapter 4	[pi] Enthusiasts	117
Chapter 5	[pi] Curiosities	137
Chapter 6	Applications of [pi]	157
Chapter 7	Paradox in [pi]	217
	Epilogue	245
	Afterword	275
Appendix A	A Three-Dimensional Example of a Rectilinear Equivalent to a Circular Measurement	293
Appendix B	Ramanujan's Work	297
Appendix C	Proof That e[superscript pi greater than sign pi superscript e]	301
Appendix D	A Rope around the Regular Polygons	305
	References	309
	Index	313

Editorial Reviews

"There is something for everyone in this book and everyone should read this book because it will be for some, a revelation that mathematics can be fun and beautiful, something they may not have realized during earlier encounters. Math teachers will find a host of ideas to enrich their instruction since Pi, as you know, comes up everywhere. This book is highly recommended and should provide a major step toward increasing the popularity of mathematics.”-Education Update “A joyful exploration…written in a conversational style reminiscent of children's science books. The writing is clear and crisp and draws the reader into the author's enthusiasm…I highly recommend [this book] to high school and college students and teachers of both. The book captures the excitement and fascination of pi and can serve as a starting point for more detailed discussion.”-Mathematics Teacher“I enjoyed reading the book…for its many applications, curiosities, and anecdotes.”-Science “Readers curious about pi could start here…Recommended.” -Choice

From the Publisher