xkcd: Coordinate Precision but pi (π)?
I tried looking for some answer but found mostly
- People reciting pi
- People teaching how to memorize pi
- How to calculate pi using different formula
- How many digits NASA uses
Update question to be more specific
In case someone see this later, what is the most advanced object you can build or perform its task, with different length of pi?
0, 3 => you can’t make a full circle
1, 3.1 => very wobbly circle
2, 3.14 => perfect hole on a beach
3, 3.142 => ??
4, 3.1416 => ??
5, 3.14159 => ??
Old question below
In practice, the majority of people will never require any extra digit past 3.14. Some engineering may go to 3.1416. And unless you are doing space stuff 3.14159 is probably more than sufficient.
But at which point do a situation require extra digit?
From 3 to 3.1 to 3.14 and so on.My non-existing rubber duck told me I can just plug these into a graphing calculator. facepalm
y=(2πx−(2·3.14x))
y=abs(2πx−(2·3.142x))
y=abs(2πx−(2·3.1416x))
y=(2πx−(2·3.14159x))
Got adequate answer from @dual_sport_dork and @howrar
Any extra example of big object and its minimum pi approximation still welcome.
On the NASA front, I believe I read somewhere that NASA determined that only 40 decimal places of pi are required to define a sphere the size of the observable universe to the accuracy of +/- the width of one hydrogen atom. It seems like you could file that under “close enough.”
Just using 3 is certainly too low of a precision – unless you’re writing a major work of religious literature, of course. 3.1 is likewise unlikely to result in acceptable accuracy on a terrestrial scale. I’ve always used 3.14159 which is conveniently exactly what I can remember without looking it up and it’s always been good enough for me. I don’t think I’ve ever in my life needed to scribe a circle much larger than a couple of feet across at any rate.
You may be interested in reading this: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-much-pi-do-you-need/
The community is called “No Stupid Questions”, maybe you could adjust the tone of your answer accordingly.
Maybe rule one should include, “Google it first”? Not a stupid question, but it is a lazy one.
The link you provided doesn’t even answer the question because it only tells you what NASA uses and then what would happen if you used no decimals at all. So your answer is not only rude, but also lazy and unhelpful.
It is helpful because its the definative answer. There’s no authority that would use a higher number of decimals, and their scope is beyond magnitude for any other application.
There’s no authority that would use a higher number of decimals
Cool, but that still doesn’t answer OP’s question.
Never, the highest needed ever in any situation concerning the entirety of humanity is 15.
You’re the type of person that needs to be told /s for a comment dripping in sarcasm to understand its sarcasm, right?
Or the type of person that posts in movie communities about narrative foreshadowing as being an Easter egg, right?
A+B=C
If 15 digits is the highest number of used by the one agency responsible for all things concerning the highest need of detail than no, there is never an instance of needing to use all the known digits of Pi.
That isn’t what they asked! They asked about when it is tolerable to use fewer digits and at what point the loss of precision becomes a concern again. Your responses have nothing to do with that question.
