Celebrating Pi Day

3/14 or 3.14: any way you slice it, it's π

Published Mar. 14, 2016

Pi Day comes around just once a year (sort of), and RIT students are always sure to celebrate!

One of the most well-known mathematical constants, the Greek letter π is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Though the decimal representation seems to go on indefinitely, it is usually approximated as 3.14159. Look at those first three digits, and you'll see why Pi Day is celebrated on March 14. Pi Day in 2016 is even more numerically significant because rounding pi to the ten-thousandths place will give you 3.1416, which matches the date exactly in the month/day/2-digit year format.

RIT's association of student mathematicians and statisticians, known as PiRIT, already started its celebrations by hosting a pie-baking contest last Friday (their usual meeting day). Participants could enter a pie or just stop by and judge. They even had a pi-themed trivia game.

Today from noon to 5 p.m. in the Infinity quad, the brothers of Sigma Alpha Mu are raising money for the Lupus Foundation of America. How does that relate to Pi Day? Donate enough and you'll be allowed to throw a pie tin full of whipped cream at one of the brothers!

The video below showcases some of last year's celebration.