Much more than a simple date on the calendar, the PI Day has become a major cultural and educational event, combining science, creativity and fun traditions.
Why March 14?
The choice of this date is not trivial because in the American format (month/day), March 14 is written 3/14, a direct reference to the first three figures of π: 3.14. This mathematical wink is at the origin of this celebration, which was born in the United States before conquering the rest of the world.
The PI Day is much more than a simple commemoration, this is a unique opportunity to promote mathematics with the general public. Schools, universities and scientific centers organize workshops, conferences and competitions around π. Lovers of figures have fun reciting a maximum of π decimals – a challenge that can go up to thousands of figures for the most daring. The π number being irrational, its decimals are endless and non -repetitive. Records are regularly established to calculate or recite its decimals. In 2019, Google used its cloud infrastructure to calculate up to 31,415 billion decimal!
But the day is not limited to mathematics since it is also marked by fun and gourmet traditions. In the United States, it is common to cook pies (pie, in English), due to the phonetic similarity between “PI” and “Pie”. These circular desserts are an original way to pay tribute to this constant linked to the circles.
An international scope
In 2019, UNESCO officially declared on March 14 as International Mathematics Day, thus strengthening its global importance. This initiative aims to make the public more aware of the impact of mathematics in our daily lives, whether in technology, medicine or even spatial exploration.
The PI Day also coincides with significant events in scientific history. Albert Einstein was born on March 14 in 1879. In addition, Stephen Hawking, famous British astrophysicist, died on March 14 in 2018. These coincidences strengthen the symbolic and scientific dimension of this day!
For those who would have missed this Pi Day of March 14, another date exists: July 22 (22/7). This fraction is an ancient approximation of π used by the ancient Greeks. Although less popular than the official PI Day, it remains an additional opportunity to celebrate this fascinating constant.
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