Campaign for pi to be replaced with alternate value tau

[Analog]

Slicing up Pi? Experts believe the number (represented by top left figure) should be replaced in calculations by tau (bottom right)



It has long been regarded as the most important number in the world - but now mathematicians are suggesting that pi may have had its day.
Experts are claiming that the number - the constant which references the circumference of a circle to its diameter - is wrong, and should be replaced with an alternate value called tau.
And they have said that while 3.14159265, the number's value, is not incorrect, the mathematicians making the claims say it is the wrong figure to be associated with the properties of a circle as a matter of course.

They are also campaigning for school textbooks to be rewritten using tau, which has a value twice that of pi of approximately 6.28 - and have even declared today, June 28, to be tau Day in its honour.
'For all these years, we have been looking at the wrong number when we have been looking at pi,' Kevin Houston, of the School of Mathematics at the University of Leeds told The Times.
'Pi simply isn’t the most natural number that we should associate with a circle. The proper number is 2pi, or tau.'
The number has long been seen as being essential to many mathematical formulae as well as being vital to equations in science and engineering.


It is used when calculating the circumference of a circle - by multiplying the diameter by the value of pi - while its area can be deduced by multiplying pi by the square of its radius.
However, mathematicians campaigning for its replacement argue that since so many formulae require the use of tau, that should be used as the main circle constant instead.


'Mathematicians don’t measure angles in degrees, we measure them in radians, and there are 2pi radians in a circle,' Dr Houston said.

“That leads to all sorts of unnecessary confusion. If you take a quarter of a circle, it has a quarter of 2pi radians, or half pi. For the number of radians in three quarters of a circle, you have to think about it. It doesn’t come naturally.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...placed-alternate-value-tau.html#ixzz1QZ7RNUK9

 

[rcpratt]

Really, do mathematicians not have anything better to do?

 

[TridenT]

Yeah... until we have a tau button on all our calculators.... I'm gonna pass.

 

[zerocool84]

With Marie Callendar's going bankrupt and now this, it looks like the end of pie is nigh.

 

[RisenZealot]

Really, do mathematicians not have anything better to do?

Reread what you just typed and ask yourself that question again lol.

 

[dennilfloss]

The tau is a lie!

 

[dank69]

repost

 

[Pollock]

0/1000

 

[PottedMeat]

why suck up another greek letter, just call it pi-bar or something ( which no one will use anyway haha ) like h-bar

 

[Brainonska511]

why suck up another greek letter, just call it pi-bar or something ( which no one will use anyway haha ) like h-bar

There are already not enough letters. As my quantum mechanics professor used to say, "No one variable has a monopoly on a letter."

 

[nublikescake]

tau waiii!!

 

[Farmer]

There are already not enough letters. As my quantum mechanics professor used to say, "No one variable has a monopoly on a letter."

With the except of pi ... really, who uses pi as a variable? That would cause massive confusion in almost all circumstances. The aim is to be clear, not use a bunch of Greek letters.

 

[Bulk Beef]

I like pi

 

[Train]

Tupai Shaker is turning over in his grave!

 

[Jaepheth]

Request denied.

Too many functions (In my experience) are using tau as a time variable.
Too many math jokes hinge on the use of pi.
Too much effort/fuss over a scalar multiple.
There's more benefit to overturning other conventions (e.g. electrons should have positive charge)

But tell you what, we'll revisit this after America has fully converted to metric.
EDIT: Also when elementary students are primarily being taught radians instead of degrees.

 

[Jeraden]

So all this fuss because they are too lazy to multiply pi by 2 to get their precious tau? Meanwhile inconvience everyone else by making them divide tau by 2 instead?

 

[HAL9000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG7vhMMXagQ

This video explains everything and I love it.

 

[sao123]

so then... are we going to change the forumlas for the area and volume to match?

 

[Farmer]

This is just nonsense. Just write tau = 2 pi on top of your paper, and use tau. No need to start a revolution.

 

[darkxshade]

I propose pi to be renamed to pie which IS associated with a circle and that tomorrow be pie day!

 

[Jaepheth]

I propose pi to be renamed to pie which IS associated with a circle and that tomorrow be pie day!

That's just silly as it would seem to imply that there's a day that is NOT pie day.

 

[Texashiker]

'Mathematicians don’t measure angles in degrees, we measure them in radians, and there are 2pi radians in a circle,' Dr Houston said.

The problem is, people that work with circles in real life do use degrees.

In the long run whats going to happen, the people that teach in schools are not going to prepare their engineering students for real life situations. They are going to teach one thing, and in the real world they are going to use something else.

 

[Farmer]

The problem is, people that work with circles in real life do use degrees.

That has nothing to do with pi.

Plenty of people in "real life" use radians also, just maybe not in your line of work. It's not that hard to convert between the two. There are also calculators.

 

[KaOTiK]

In other news, cake>pie

 

[Sentrosi2121]

Sounds like a bunch of nerds have invested in Rand-McNally and other textbook publishers.