Buffon's Needle
In mathematics, Buffon's needle problem is a question first posed in the 18th century by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon:
- Suppose we have a floor made of parallel strips of wood, each the same width, and we drop a needle onto the floor. What is the probability that the needle will lie across a line between two strips?
Buffon's needle was the earliest problem in geometric probability to be solved; it can be solved using integral geometry. The solution, in the case where the needle length is not greater than the width of the strips, can be used to design a Monte Carlo-style method for approximating the number π.
Read more about Buffon's Needle: Solution, Using Elementary Calculus, Estimating π
Famous quotes containing the word needle:
“I would build my house of crystal,
With a solitary friend,
Where the cold cracks like a pistol
And the needle stands on end.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)