Every year, the Pi Approximation Day is observed on July 22 (22/7 in the day/month format), since the fraction ​22⁄7 is a common approximation of π, which is accurate to two decimal places and dates from Archimedes. The day is celebrated worldwide on July 22 to mark the Pi where the denominator 7 represents the 7th month, i.e., July and numerator 22 represents the 22nd day of the month. Pi is one of the most widely recognized mathematical constant.

The Pi Approximation Day is closely related to the Pi Day which is celebrated on March 14 every year (representing the value 3.14). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day. In November 2019, the UNESCO's 40th General Conference decided Pi Day as the International Day of Mathematics.

Pi Approximation Day 2020 History

The Pi Approximation Day, also known as Casual Pi Day, the day is dedicated to the mathematical constant pi (π). The days is very much related to Pi Day, which is celebrated on March 14. In 1988, the earliest known official or large-scale celebration of Pi Day was organized by Larry Shaw at the San Francisco Exploratorium, where Shaw worked as a physicist, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies.

Pi Approximation Day 2020 Significance

Pi is a never-ending and never-repeating number. The day is celebrated on 22 July is because of the value of Pi- 22/7. The day is observed in a lot of ways across the world. In order to mark the festival, several events are held which include eating a pie and discussion of the significance of number π. Various schools also hold competitions in order to find out which student recalls Pi to its highest number of decimal places.

The number π is a mathematical constant. Pi is an irrational number, which means that it is not possible to calculate Pi by dividing an integer by any other integer. The value of Pi is 22/7 or 3.14. It is approximately equal to 3.14159. It has been represented by the Greek letter "π" since the mid-18th century, and is spelled out as "pi". It is also referred to as Archimedes' constant.

It is defined as the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, and it also has various equivalent definitions. Ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians and Babylonians, required fairly accurate approximations to π for practical computations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2020 07:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).