Scholar Sauce | Is π Really Wrong? @scholarsauce | Uploaded June 2023 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
In 2001, Dr. Bob Palais wrote a really fun article called "Pi is Wrong!" In it, he argued that instead of π, which is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, we should use the ratio of a circle's circumeference to its radius as the circle constant. This constant, which is equal to 2π, was later dubbed τ by Michael Hartl in a 2010 article that he wrote called The Tau Manifesto. Dr. Palais' paper launched an international debate about whether we should continue to use π or switch to τ as the circle constant. Dr. Palais has since been referred to as the Godfather of the τ movement.
Since 2016, Dr. Palais and Dr. Alan Parry have held several debates on this topic as I think that we should not abandon π so easily. In today's video, Dr. Parry takes on the Godfather of τ in a debate that was filmed on Pi Day 2023 and is being released on Scholar Sauce on Tau Day 2023. We hope that you enjoy it. Let us know in the comments which circle constant you prefer and why. And don't forget to eat two pies today!
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Images
Most images from Dr. Palais' slides have links to the images within the slide in the video.
Google Earth animation created by Alan Parry using Google Earth.
Other animations courtesy of Dr. Bob Palais.
Remaining images mainly created using either MS Powerpoint or GeoGebra.com.
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Video Clips
Tau Replaces Pi
Numberphile
Clip from 3:09-3:40
Link: youtu.be/83ofi_L6eAo
Pi Is (still) Wrong.
Vihart
Clip from 4:43-5:02
Link: youtu.be/jG7vhMMXagQ
Please subscribe to both Numberphile and Vihart, they're pretty awesome channels!
In 2001, Dr. Bob Palais wrote a really fun article called "Pi is Wrong!" In it, he argued that instead of π, which is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, we should use the ratio of a circle's circumeference to its radius as the circle constant. This constant, which is equal to 2π, was later dubbed τ by Michael Hartl in a 2010 article that he wrote called The Tau Manifesto. Dr. Palais' paper launched an international debate about whether we should continue to use π or switch to τ as the circle constant. Dr. Palais has since been referred to as the Godfather of the τ movement.
Since 2016, Dr. Palais and Dr. Alan Parry have held several debates on this topic as I think that we should not abandon π so easily. In today's video, Dr. Parry takes on the Godfather of τ in a debate that was filmed on Pi Day 2023 and is being released on Scholar Sauce on Tau Day 2023. We hope that you enjoy it. Let us know in the comments which circle constant you prefer and why. And don't forget to eat two pies today!
--------------------------------------------
Images
Most images from Dr. Palais' slides have links to the images within the slide in the video.
Google Earth animation created by Alan Parry using Google Earth.
Other animations courtesy of Dr. Bob Palais.
Remaining images mainly created using either MS Powerpoint or GeoGebra.com.
---------------------------------------------
Video Clips
Tau Replaces Pi
Numberphile
Clip from 3:09-3:40
Link: youtu.be/83ofi_L6eAo
Pi Is (still) Wrong.
Vihart
Clip from 4:43-5:02
Link: youtu.be/jG7vhMMXagQ
Please subscribe to both Numberphile and Vihart, they're pretty awesome channels!
