Fun With Pi: A Potpurri of Pilish Algorithms
Since its first documented appearance about four millennia ago, the number π (pi) has become not just an oft-encountered constant in mathematics and physics but a cultural phenomenon, with numerous appearances in books, artworks, TV shows, and films. This talk will discuss a handful of these somewhat recreational aspects of pi, each of which turns out to have non-trivial connections to serious mathematics and/or computer algorithms. Among our topics will be curious features of pi's digits, memorizing the digits using a human-based algorithm, pi in graphic design, the most beautiful digit-computing algorithm, and the wonders of Pilish: a constrained dialect of English in which the number of letters in successive words matches the digits of pi.
Date and Time
Location
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- Date: 21 Mar 2025
- Time: 12:00 AM UTC to 01:30 AM UTC
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- 79 William St
- Princeton, New Jersey
- United States 08544
- Building: Friend Center
- Room Number: 006 (lower level)
Speakers
Mike Keith
Fun with π (Pi): A Potpourri of Pilish Algorithms
Biography:
Michael Keith is a retired software engineer who was employed at Bell Labs, the David Sarnoff Research Center, Intel, and a small startup (Ambric), focusing primarily on computer graphics and audio/video compression algorithms. His abiding interest in the number pi started with Martin Gardner's column in the July 1960 Scientific American and grew over the years to include many facets of this fascinating number, such as those that will be discussed in this presentation. Mike's 2010 book of stories and poems, "Not A Wake," is the only book ever published written entirely in Pilish. Mike also hosts a webpage (http://www.cadaeic.net) with links to many facts and resources about π.
Bill Agress
Albert Einstein and Pi
The Fun With Pi event will also feature a performance by Bill Agress, who will appear in the guise of Albert Einstein.
Biography:
Bill Agress is the leading Einstein re-enactor on the East Coast. He is the official Albert Einstein for Pi Day Princeton, and he has lectured as Einstein at Princeton University. Bill lives in Lawrenceville NJ, and he is also active as a Revolutionary War re-enactor. Come and ask Bill questions about Einstein’s life, as well as about relativity and π! Learn more about Bill at https://patriotgenius.com.
All Princeton ACM / IEEE Computer Society meetings are open to the public. Students and their parents are welcome. There is no admission charge, and refreshments are served.