Bernie asks: << . . . the area of a circle is 3.14... times the square of the radius and the volume of a sphere is 4.18... times the cube of the radius. . . . But when did mathematicians realize that those weren't two separate gnarly constants, but actually "reflections" [if you will] of a single underlying constant? I don't think the Greeks had enough math machinery to figure all that out, did they? . . .

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Yes, the fact that the ratio of the volume of a sphere to the volume of the circumscribed cylinder is 2/3 was one of Archimedes' proudest achievements: This is said to be inscribed on his gravestone. --Dan _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele