TIL That the value of pi was approximated to be 355/113 in the 5th century. This is the closest approximation of the value of pi that one can obtain without having 4 numbers in the denominator.

Once Zu computed the value of π to a couple of decimal places, it was extremely easy to calculate a rational approximation. The trick is to simply take the computed value of π and multiply it by one natural number after another (π×1, π×2, π×3 … π×113 … π×999). The product closest to a natural number (the number with the most consecutive nines or zeros in the decimal places) is the winner. 3.1415926 × 113 = 354.**9999**638 355 / 113 ≈ π

ViciousNakedMoleRat

Nice mnemonic in the article: write the first three odd digits twice: 1 1 3 3 5 5 => 355/113

jvleminc

Just utterly fucked up my edumactaional & functional knowledge. I have had 22/7 ingrained in my head for decades. I always assumed it was- from actual physical measurements 22/7 only matches out to 3.14 355/113 matches out to 3.14592 and my worldview is seriously upset right now…

Way2trivial

Pi is exactly 3!

Gone_For_Lunch

And to think that in 2022 I’m still using 3.14!

GoosemanCA