douglas@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Douglas Schuler) (07/01/89)
I have read somewhere that 3 is given somewhere in the Bible (the old testament as a matter of fact) as the value of pi. It doesn't come right out and say: pi = 3, but there is a line (if memory serves me correctly) that states that one multiples the diameter of a circle by 3 in order to get the circumference. Please send me mail if you know the answer to this as I don't read netnews very often. Thanks for your help. -- Doug Schuler -- ** MY VIEWS MAY NOT BE IDENTICAL TO THOSE OF THE BOEING COMPANY ** Doug Schuler (206) 865-3226 douglas@atc.boeing.com [Sort of. I don't have the reference, but in a description of the temple, both the diameter and circumference of some round object are given. However since both numbers are round (in a different sense), it's quite possible that they were just being cited to one significant figure. Of course if the OT had been written by Vulcans, then we'd have the dimensions to 6 decimal places... --clh]
davem@watmath.waterloo.edu (Dave Mielke) (07/04/89)
In article <Jul.1.03.40.12.1989.18084@athos.rutgers.edu> bcsaic!douglas@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Douglas Schuler) writes: >I have read somewhere that 3 is given somewhere in the Bible >(the old testament as a matter of fact) as the value of pi. Speaking of Solomon constructing the temple, 1 Kings 7:23 tell us "And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: {it was} round all about, and his height {was} five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.". It is important to note that the term "round" does not necessarily mean a precise circle. One might easily also call an elipse round. A circle is merely a special case of an elipse where both focal points are in the same place. The largest ratio of circumference to diameter for an elipse is PI and the smallest ratio is 2. The value 3 does, in fact, fall between these two bounds. Dave Mielke, 613-726-0014 856 Grenon Avenue Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2B 6G3