Description
It's the ratio between a circle's circumference and its diameter. And that's a constant, right? And there's never been disagreement on what that constan is- or its value to science- right? Well, not exactly. In this lucid, wide-ranging book, Petr Beckmann traces the perilous journey of pi- the little number with huge implications for advanced mathematical functions- from its Babylonian creation to its use by the Greeks in measuring the earth to some medieval attempts to eradicate those who pursued it to its crucial role in modern computation. Beckmann reveals this journey to be nothing less than a mirror of human history. He tells of the times when pi made progress, and also when it was stifled by militarism and religious fanaticism -- Provided by publisher.
