SBG replies ... ------- Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:42:41 -0700 Subject: Re: [math-fun] 5000 billion digits of Pi From: "Stephen B. Gray" <stevebg@roadrunner.com> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> 2.1 unnamed [text/html] 1.19 KB Download On 8/5/2010 3:27 PM, Eugene Salamin wrote:

The most evident objection to this kind of calculation is that base 10 is just an arbitrary choice. A continued fraction result would avoid this objection, and might actually be mathematically useful. The only such calculation I'm aware of was the one by RWG some 30 years ago that found 17 million terms. It appeared that pi has large denominators appearing earlier than would be expected for a random real number.

Has anyone ever used these gazillion digits of pi for some purpose besides setting a new record? Here's a goal for the new decade: calculate pi to a quadrillion places, on a cell phone, while riding a unicycle.

-- Gene

That would be an impressive stunt but it will NOT help me calculate the circumference of my wading pool. Please, let's be practical. Steve Gray