For such a common shape I am surprised that circles have not been researched to the extent that PhDs have been awarded about them. After all, circles are everywhere we look. Wheels, plates, rings through the noses of bulls. So why has no philosopher made any earth shattering discovery, like Pythagoras did when he jumped from his bath and ran naked along the street shouting “the square on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the two adjacent sides”.
Surely that was Archimedes I hear you say, but I think you will find Archimedes shouted, “Eureka I have found it.” Whatever it was Archimedes found I do not think it had anything to do with circles.
Of course there was that guy who very cleverly determined that the length of a circle’s circumference is exactly equal to its diameter multiplied by a number which is not actually a number. Its decimal notation goes on forever without repetition, hesitation, or deviation. In mathematical terms this is called an irrational number. Presumably because it chose the name ‘Pi’ for itself instead of something more sensible!
With the use of one of the world most advanced super computers, (a worthy cause I am sure,) Pi has been calculated to ten to the power of thirteen decimal places.
I can just imagine the conversation when that scientist returned home with news of his ground breaking achievement.
“Hi honey I’m home… I have just calculated Pi to thirteen point three trillion decimal places.”
“That’s nice dear, it’s in the oven, I’m off to my Zumba session.”
“What is in the oven?”
“Your pie.”
One thing I personally find fascinating about circles is that if you draw seven with one in the centre and six around the outside, they fit perfectly. Each outer circle just touching the centre one and both its two neighbours. What’s more. interesting is that when we venture into the third dimension, spheres nestle in a similar way, but vertically as well as on a single plane.
Cannon balls were often stacked in small piles using this property. A triangle (or square) usually made of brass was placed on the deck and a pyramid of shot propped on it. The triangle,(or square) for some unfathomable reason known only to her majesty’s Senior Service was known as a monkey. In cold weather, it is reputed that, the metal would shrink and the cannon balls would fall off, giving rise to that often misinterpreted saying ‘It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.’ There have been PhDs rewarded for research done proving this is actually impossible!
Finally, how can one write anything about circles and not mention that wonderfully creative toy of the year 1968. I refer of course to the Spirograph. I was always astounded by the ability of the device to produce seemingly infinite numbers of boring artless patterns in one or more of the four colours of ball point pen provided in the box, but I must confess it did have a certain attraction. There was always the excitement when using it, that this, the 95th time of pushing the little cog around would eventually cause the line to join up with where it started and let you get on with the rest of your life.
Incase you feel the urge, this is how you can calculate Pi.
It’s all Greek to me!