Most Pi Digits Ever Recited at IMS

The MOST Pi digits recited at IMS are 1,012 by Priya Shah

The History of Pi

Have you ever wondered where the digit π came from? Well, you’re in luck, because I know! The mathematician Archimedes used polygons with many sides to approximate circles and determined that Pi was approximately 22/7. The symbol (Greek letter “π”) was first used in 1706 by William Jones. A ‘p’ was chosen for ‘perimeter’ of circles, and the use of π became popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. In recent years, Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits past its decimal. Only 39 digits past the decimal are needed to accurately calculate the spherical volume of our entire universe, but because of Pi’s infinite & pattern less nature, it’s a fun challenge to learn a new concept, and to calculate more and more digits. Our school’s Pi-Digit Competition gives the student body a chance to memorize the numbers and compete against each other. Well, what are you waiting for? Stop wasting time, and start memorizing those digits!

--Reema Sharma, Grade 8

May 2017