Circumference of A Circle
The perimeter of a circle, often called circumference, is proportional to its diameter. That is to say, there exists a constant number π (the greek p for perimeter) which gives, if P is the circle's perimeter and D its diameter:
- P = π D.
If one knows the radius R of the circle, this formula becomes:
- P = 2 π R.
To calculate a circle's perimeter, the knowledge of its radius or diameter and of the number π is sufficient. The problem is that π is not rational (it cannot be expressed as the quotient of two integers), nor algebraic (it is not a root of a polynomial equation with rational coefficients). So, obtaining an accurate approximation of π is not easy. The search for the digits of π mobilizes many fields, such as mathematical analysis, algorithmics and computer science.
Read more about this topic: Perimeter
Famous quotes containing the words circumference of and/or circle:
“A fact is the end or last issue of spirit. The visible creation is the terminus or the circumference of the invisible world.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)