Pi

3.14159265358979323846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510

What I'm up to so far, and the blocks in which I remember them. I keep trying to recite up to 50 d.p. at 2 numbers per second, at a constant speed.
 
Does no one think that the language plays a huge role in memorizing these digits?
 
This may sound stupid, but I know Chinese and I think it's much easier to memorize numbers in Chinese because of various reasons that are inherent in the structure of the language. Monosyllabic-ness, for one. And also the numbers themselves are sort of pseudo-mnemonics already, damn this is hard to explain :p I think this is part of the reason why a Chinese dude holds the world record?

I don't know much about insane amounts of information storage, but I do know languages matter for tiny amounts of information such as BLD cycles ;) So I'm just speculating. Also, I can memorize long strings of numbers when they roll off my tongue easily, not when I visualize them in my head. So language does matter to me I guess.

What about you F.P.? Regardless of your memory method, do you visualize the figures in your head as you're saying them aloud or do they just roll off your tongue instinctively?
 
It's in french, but I'm sure that there is an equivalent in other languages...

Que j'aime à faire apprendre ce nombre utile aux sages !
Immortel Archimède, artiste, ingénieur,
Qui de ton jugement peut priser la valeur ?
Pour moi, ton problème eut de pareils avantages.
Jadis, mystérieux, un problème bloquait
Tout l'admirable procédé, l'œuvre grandiose
Que Pythagore découvrit aux anciens Grecs.
Ô quadrature ! Vieux tourment du philosophe
Insoluble rondeur, trop longtemps vous avez
Défié Pythagore et ses imitateurs.
Comment intégrer l'espace plan circulaire ?
Former un triangle auquel il équivaudra ?
Nouvelle invention : Archimède inscrira
Dedans un hexagone ; appréciera son aire
Fonction du rayon. Pas trop ne s'y tiendra :
Dédoublera chaque élément antérieur ;
Toujours de l'orbe calculée approchera ;
Définira limite ; enfin, l'arc, le limiteur
De cet inquiétant cercle, ennemi trop rebelle
Professeur, enseignez son problème avec zèle

With this poem, it's easy to remember the digits.
You take each word, and the number of letters gives you a digit (if it's ten, then the digit is 0)
For example
Que j'aime à faire apprendre ce nombre utile aux sages !
Que -> 3 letters
J' -> 1
aime -> 4
à -> 1
faire -> 5
etc.

Yes, I know, it's cheating :D
I know 3,14159265358 without the help of the poem.
 
Related to pi, but not to memorisation-
Could someone refer me to a simple proof that pi is irrational? I've been trying to explain that it is to a friend, but unfortunately the best reason I can come up with for why is "because."
 
hawkmp4 said:
Related to pi, but not to memorisation-
Could someone refer me to a simple proof that pi is irrational? I've been trying to explain that it is to a friend, but unfortunately the best reason I can come up with for why is "because."
Click to expand...

Simple? There isn't one, unless you deem something like Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last simple. It is irrevocably irrational, 'tho.
 
not_kevin said:
hawkmp4 said:
Related to pi, but not to memorisation-
Could someone refer me to a simple proof that pi is irrational? I've been trying to explain that it is to a friend, but unfortunately the best reason I can come up with for why is "because."
Click to expand...

Simple? There isn't one, unless you deem something like Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last simple. It is irrevocably irrational, 'tho.
Click to expand...

It cannot be expressed as a fraction of two integers. I don't know if that proves anything, but maybe it does.
 
Last edited:
CAT13 said:
not_kevin said:
hawkmp4 said:
Related to pi, but not to memorisation-
Could someone refer me to a simple proof that pi is irrational? I've been trying to explain that it is to a friend, but unfortunately the best reason I can come up with for why is "because."
Click to expand...

Simple? There isn't one, unless you deem something like Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last simple. It is irrevocably irrational, 'tho.
Click to expand...

It cannot be expressed as a fraction of two integers. I don't know if that proves anything, but it might be believable.
Click to expand...

That's the definition of irrational, yes. Now, the big (and really-hard-to-answer) question is why?
 
Yeah, that's my problem. I tell them its irrational and they have to ask WHY?!
Damn intellectuals xD
I've searched but most of it is way over my head. I may have to wait till I am better educated in maths.
 
I found a few proofs online that are quite readable for someone with a little bit of number theory and/or calculus. I don't know what your background is like, but there really isn't a good way to simplify this past this point.

I found http://pirate.shu.edu/~wachsmut/ira/infinity/irrat_nm.html particularly easy. However, if you haven't had calculus II then you will not be able to understand it. Unfortunately, I can't think of a way to simplify the proof, and I'm sure that if there was one it would be widely available online, so if you can't understand it, you'll just have to wait to take calculus.
 
haha

I listened to the PI song like one year ago

I was able (and i'm still be) to remember ~110 digits (thanks to the song)

People always laugh at me when i say i know "sooo many useless digits" but when i write them, they use to congratulate me.

I would like to memorize e (2.71828) digits, but i will wait until the science improves, ought to from digit #20, numbers CAN be wrong ( 1 + 1/t )^t : that's not an exact number, is it?

:)
 
I won the £5 bet for reciting Pi to 100 decimal places. Surprisingly easy, although the number of "that's really sad" comments was a bit disheartening. Frankly, it was easy money in my opinion; I just tried to remember bits more whenever I had a spare five minutes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top