Day of Pi: This is how we use this irrational number daily

The constant pi is one of the numbers that mathematicians and lovers of this world are most passionate about. The exact value of pi is still uncertain, since the number of decimals does not have a final digit and that is why the presence of it may seem very alien to us but reality will simply surprise you.

It should be noted that the short and most used presentation is 3.14 (pi value), but as we already mentioned, the real value is much longer, to the point of reaching 22 trillion decimal places.

EVERYDAY USE OF PI:

The number Pi is represented by the Greek letter π. It has infinite functions in our lives, as it is applied in many areas existing in the world, such as the internet, computers, mobile phones and even GPS signals. That is why, this day seeks to commemorate everything we use today thanks to the appearance of pi in our lives.

1. On the watch:

This mathematical constant has been used since ancient times. And before it was very simple to find, when there was the constant use of pendulum clocks. Nowadays they are almost a relic.

The formula of the time it takes for a pendulum to oscillate from one side to the other is based on Pi, so designers of this type of watch must make a mathematical calculation at the moment to create them.

Many experts say that pi is almost magical because it is simply present in places that one would never imagine.

2. On the cell phone:

In a publication belonging to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), American mathematician David H. Bailey explains that Pi plays a role predominant in the formula of the Fourier transform, which is a mathematical tool used to decompose a signal into its constituent frequencies.

“Your mobile phone makes a Fourier transform when it communicates with the local cell phone tower [...] Even your ear performs a Fourier transform (though not through digital computing) when it distinguishes sounds of different tones or when it recognizes the voice of a friend,” says Bailey.

2. On the GPS:

According to Chris Budd, in statements to the BBC, he said that “It is possible to use Pi to describe the geometry of the world”.

The mathematician states that it is important to “calculate Pi with very high accuracy for modern technology such as GPS to work”.

That is, in order for a person to appear on the map, accurate calculations are given through the Pi method. However, this does not only work for a simple car or city GPS. It also works for airplanes.

“When planes fly long distances, what they are really doing is going through the arc of a circle. The route must be calculated as such to accurately measure fuel usage,” adds the National Council of Mathematics Teachers (NCTM).

This goes much further, even in NASA this constant is widely used and here its use is up to 16 digits in terms of decimals (3.1415926535897932). This aerospace station uses a “space GPS”, according to the article published in the journal Scientific American.

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