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Pi Day is the annual celebration of the mathematical constant “π.” The famed Greek letter is the symbol used in mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter—approximately 3.14159. Because 3.14 are the first three figures of π, Pi Day is observed on March 14. The first celebration of Pi Day took place at the San Francisco Exploratorium on March 14, 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw organized an event to make mathematics more relatable and fun. To further cement the number’s importance, the US House of Representatives passed a 2009 non-binding resolution recognizing March 14 as National Pi Day.
On March 14, mathematics enthusiasts worldwide celebrate Pi Day and the International Day of Mathematics (IDM), raising awareness about mathematics and its role and importance in our world, eating pie (typically raspberry), and showcasing how math and its study can be fun.
Pi, one of the most prominent symbols in mathematics, has many important applications in engineering, statistics, and physics. Though the concept of pi dates back thousands of years, it was only in the early 1700s when the Greek letter for p—π—began to represent the mathematical constant.
Pi is not determined by measuring actual circles. It's a number related to various properties of circles. Pi is calculated using one of various infinite series, which can be used to determine its value to as many degrees of precision as we want. The truth is, we know far more digits of pi than could be used to describe a circle down to the subatomic level. Ironically enough, for all the help pi lends to mathematics and engineering, it is what’s known as an irrational number—its decimal representation has no end and no repeating pattern.
Pi Day promotes the excitement and relevance of mathematics to an ever-increasing audience globally. In that spirit, let’s dive deeper into the magic of 3.14159.
Pi and its value become real when we see how it’s used in technology. Here are just a few examples of how pi is at work in tech:
Whether you’re an engineer, teacher, scout leader, student, parent, or someone who gets exuberantly excited regarding all math or tech, there’s a Pi Day celebration or activity just for you. This year, the theme is “Mathematics for Everyone,” and globally, more than 1,700 events are already announced to celebrate the day.
Some of the activities enjoyed on Pi Day include competitions for memorizing the 70,000 digits of pi (last accomplished in 2015—with recall taking ten hours), creating Pi Day art and games, coming up with math jokes, and, of course, pie baking contests.
The Institute for Educational Advancement published suggestions for “10 Ways to Celebrate Pi Day” in 2019, but just like pi, it never gets old and the fun carries on. One of our favorite suggestions is to read the story Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi. In the storyline, Sir Cumference is changed into a dragon, and his son, Radius, and Lady Di of Ameter search for clues to a riddle that can change him back to a human.
Another favorite is the annual NASA Pi Day Challenge. Each year, NASA does it up big with a different challenge geared to educators and students. The 2024 NASA Pi Day Challenge features four new problems involving real NASA missions, science, and pi. We encourage you to take on the challenge of solving some of the same problems NASA scientists and engineers solve using pi!
Other Pi Day celebrations include eating foods that start with “pi” (pie, pizza, pineapple), a pi trivia contest, and a Pi Day run that is, you guessed it, 3.14 miles long.
Many may already know all about the mathematical constant pi (π) and how it calculates things such as the circumference of a circle or the volume of a sphere. But why should we care? Pi is important because it represents precision, accuracy, and a wealth of possibilities. From designing bridges and buildings to space exploration, software development, and even grasping the universe, pi is worth learning about and celebrating. Happy Pi Day!
Carolyn Mathas is a freelance writer/site editor for United Business Media’s EDN and EE Times, IHS 360, and AspenCore, as well as individual companies. Mathas was Director of Marketing for Securealink and Micrium, Inc., and provided public relations, marketing and writing services to Philips, Altera, Boulder Creek Engineering and Lucent Technologies. She holds an MBA from New York Institute of Technology and a BS in Marketing from University of Phoenix.