History of the number pie
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The best-known approximations to π dating before the Common Era were accurate to two decimal places; this was improved upon in Chinese mathematics in particular by the mid-first millennium, to an accuracy of seven decimal places. After this, no further progress was made until the late medieval period.
Some Egyptologists[39] have claimed that the ancient Egyptians used an approximation of πas 22/7 from as early as the Old Kingdom.[40]This claim has met with skepticism.[41][42][43][44]
The earliest written approximations of π are found in Egypt and Babylon, both within one percent of the true value. In Babylon, a clay tablet dated 1900–1600 BC has a geometrical statement that, by implication, treats π as 25/8 = 3.125.[45] In Egypt, the Rhind Papyrus, dated around 1650 BC but copied from a document dated to 1850 BC, has a formula for the area of a circle that treats π as (16/9)2 ≈ 3.1605.[45]
Astronomical calculations in the Shatapatha Brahmana (ca. 4th century BC) use a fractional approximation of 339/108 ≈ 3.139 (an accuracy of 9×10−4).[46] Other Indian sources by about 150 BC treat π as √10 ≈ 3.1622.[
Some Egyptologists[39] have claimed that the ancient Egyptians used an approximation of πas 22/7 from as early as the Old Kingdom.[40]This claim has met with skepticism.[41][42][43][44]
The earliest written approximations of π are found in Egypt and Babylon, both within one percent of the true value. In Babylon, a clay tablet dated 1900–1600 BC has a geometrical statement that, by implication, treats π as 25/8 = 3.125.[45] In Egypt, the Rhind Papyrus, dated around 1650 BC but copied from a document dated to 1850 BC, has a formula for the area of a circle that treats π as (16/9)2 ≈ 3.1605.[45]
Astronomical calculations in the Shatapatha Brahmana (ca. 4th century BC) use a fractional approximation of 339/108 ≈ 3.139 (an accuracy of 9×10−4).[46] Other Indian sources by about 150 BC treat π as √10 ≈ 3.1622.[
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