Memorising PI
Joseph O'Rourke
(in article <1991Dec16.1...@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>):
>Robert D. Silverman writes
> (in article <1991Dec16.0...@linus.mitre.org>):
>>I wish I could understand the fascination people have with digits of Pi.
>>What's the big deal????
> I wish I could understand it too,[...] [W]hat's so uniquely fascinating
> about pi?
The new book "Old and New Unsolved Problems in Plane Geometry and
Number Theory," by Victor Klee and Stan Wagon, contains a chapter
entitled "Interesting Real Numbers," which might alleviate Silverman's
and Roussel's perplexity. The opening sentence is, "All real
numbers are not created equally."
One open problem they discuss is the question of pi's
normalcy: are the digits in the decimal expansion of pi devoid
of pattern?
They also mention that Hans Eberstark has memorized 11,000
digits of pi, and that the Guinness Book of Records claims the current
record is over 40,000 digits!