2007-06-20 08:18:33 · 8 answers · asked by Alexander 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Pi or π is a mathematical constant and a transcendental (and therefore irrational) real number, approximately equal to 3.14159, which is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter in Euclidean geometry, and has many uses in mathematics, physics, and engineering.
In 1999, Yasumasa Kanada and his team at the University of Tokyo correctly computed π to over 200 billion decimal places on the supercomputer HITACHI SR8000/MPP (128 nodes) using another variation of Ramanujan's infinite series of π. In October 2005 they claimed to have calculated it to 1.24 trillion places.
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Meanwhile, the mathematical constant e is the base of the natural logarithm. It is occasionally called Euler's number after the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler, or Napier's constant in honor of the Scottish mathematician John Napier who introduced logarithms. (e is not to be confused with γ – the Euler–Mascheroni constant, sometimes called simply Euler's constant.)
The number of known digits of e has increased dramatically during the last decades. This is due both to the increase of performance of computers as well as to algorithmic improvements. The latest was on April 20, 2007, computed to 100,000,000,000 digits by Shigeru Kondo.
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It is unknown whether π and e are algebraically independent. However it is known that at least one of πe and π + e is transcendental.
2007-06-20 08:28:32 · answer #1 · answered by pisayweb 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I found a link stating that by 2003, they had computer the first 50 billion digits of e. I found a reference elsewhere on the web to having found the first trillion ar so digits of pi.
Seems like pi wins.
2007-06-20 08:29:08 · answer #2 · answered by M K 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pi has a longer history, and much more interest. Over 40 years ago they had it worked out to over 100 places. Now they have it out to 600 million digits...
http://www.lulu.com/content/283069
e is only up to about 10 million digits
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/gifcity/e.1mil
Ron
2007-06-20 08:27:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
probably both. pi just better known to the general public
2007-06-20 08:22:32 · answer #4 · answered by Terrrs-uh 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm going to go with pi also. e just doesn't have the star power...!
2007-06-20 08:23:12 · answer #5 · answered by eva-bella 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would have to guess pi.
2007-06-20 08:21:25 · answer #6 · answered by Math Stud 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The number e is better known, because although both numbers are known to better accuracy, the 1828 keeps repeating after 2.71828, wheras pi doesn't do this.
2007-06-20 08:22:49 · answer #7 · answered by Confused about life 2 · 0⤊ 9⤋
3.14
2007-06-20 08:22:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋