What i mean is how can pi be infinite...because if it were then in theory a circle could never be measured because the ratio would always be expanding. Like this
Circle A has a diameter X and a Circumference Y the ratio should be Pi; but if you work it backwards Pi times Y then it would never equal X because Pi could not be defined as a number.. You know what I mean.....
2007-02-02 18:20:57 · 14 answers · asked by djsurreal3 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
i think you're asking this is your question:
since pi is a ratio of the circumference to the diameter... and since both the circumference and the diameter are measurable... therefore their ratio should be rational.. and pi must be rational... (i.e, rational = not having an infinitely non-repeating decimal value)
I hope I got it right.
If so then the answer would depend on your outlook:
1) a circle is an idealized object, and a perfect circle does not actually exist... so the circles we can measure aren't really the circles we idealize in geometry class.
2) since pi is irrational, it follows that if an ideal circle's diameter is rational, the circumference of that circle is irrational, and vice versa (interchange diameter and circumference).. so if we do find 2 rational values there must be error in measurement. (to reduce the error in measurement you can do things like draw a larger circle and do relatively more accurate measurements there, you will find that the decimal points will change and extend)
2007-02-02 20:57:51 · answer #1 · answered by not.my.name 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, now, if the definition if pi is 22/7 (and I'll take that on faith from other responders), then the problem is with numbers. Both 22 and 7 are integers. That means they represent COUNTED things, like eggs or light bulbs. Any mathematics involving them must return an integer result. You could say 22/7 = 3 1/7 and be correct, but it is the forcing it into a non-integer system that causes it to be never-ending. Another observation about integers is that their accuracy is perfect. There is no "tolerance". But I like the idea of a number system base pi. It would solve all those nasty radian problems.
2007-02-02 20:17:18 · answer #2 · answered by ZORCH 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How do you know a circle is finite? Where does it stop and where does it end? Any starting and stopping point would only be arbitrary, right?
Pi is not infinite, it is just a non-repeating decimal. There are other numbers like that. And just think how strange our number system would be if we used Pi as the first unit instead of 1 -- then Pi would be the ONLY rational number....
2007-02-02 18:29:22 · answer #3 · answered by emsjoflo 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Just because the number pi takes an infinite number of decimal places to describe does not mean that pi is an infinite number. For example, 1/3=.3333333......forever threes but clearly 1/3 is not an infinite number.
2007-02-02 18:27:46 · answer #4 · answered by bruinfan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pi is not an infinite number, its irrational but finite.
Its definition is not 22/7 but it is the ratio of circumference to diameter of the circle which is always same in all cases.
numerical value of Pi is
3.141592653589........ never terminating.
2007-02-02 19:19:33 · answer #5 · answered by Ryatt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um.... no. Pi is not infinite. It is quite finite, it's just not a rational number. Rational and finite are completely different concepts.
2016-05-23 22:29:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pi is not equal to inifinity. It takes infinite percision to get the percise value of pi. Same reason why 1/3 =.33333333333333333... on forever.
2007-02-02 18:29:01 · answer #7 · answered by Roman Soldier 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pi is not infinite. It is irrational in the base 10 system.
I once met a guy when I was in college that thought we should radically change our numbering system to be based upon pi. He seemed a bit nutty to me.... a bit irrational.
2007-02-02 18:29:48 · answer #8 · answered by Tom Heston 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The reason why because after you go beyound maybe 5 places after the decimal mark the size barely changes example .333333 is not that much different than .3333334
2007-02-02 18:31:19 · answer #9 · answered by Mike D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I asked a question over 5 times, everytime it seems to work normally but the question isn't shown at all in the mathematics section where I put it. Could someone please click into my profile on the left hand side and help me with a year/grade 11 Geometry and trigonometry question. Thanks so much! Please explain to me if possible why my questions aren't appearing so no one can answer them unless they go onto my profile and click on the question I have asked. Thanks so much.
2007-02-02 18:25:25 · answer #10 · answered by Lauren R 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋