National Pi Day: Get yourself a slice of the fun

Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.

-- By Charyn Pfeuffer

Pi is the ratio of the perimeter – or circumference – of a circle to its diameter. The Greek letter pi (π), is the first letter of the word perimetros (Greek for perimeter).

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Combine language arts, graphic arts and mathematics by writing haiku poems about pi, called pi-kus. Create one, two or three haiku stanzas, as well as a graphic depicting the poem.

The pattern for haiku is the following:
Line 1: Five syllables
Line 2: Seven syllables
Line 3: Five syllables

Wish your friend a Happy Pi Day with an e-greeting

Mathematicians began using the Greek letter π in the 1700s. The symbol was introduced by William Jones in 1706, and its use was popularized by Leonhard Euler, who adopted it in 1737.

We like to think outside the (pizza) box, so here are a few Pi Day food suggestions: apple pie, MoonPie, shepherd’s pie, pine nuts and pineapple.

Spread the pi with an e-card

Q: What do you get when you take green cheese and divide its circumference by its diameter?
A: Moon Pi.

For more Pi Day jokes, visit Bing.

This trick is so simple and logical, it almost shouldn't be called a trick. But it could come in handy for your budding Sir Isaac Newton. To multiply any number by 4, simply multiply it by 2 and then double the answer.

35 x 4
35 x 2 = 70
70 x 2 = 140
35 x 4 = 140

The underlying lesson of this "trick" is that you can solve a multiplication problem by multiplying by its factors.
For more cool math tricks, visit Mom’s Homeroom.

Here are a few musical picks, in case you’re planning a Pi Day party:

“American Pie,” by Don McLean
“1+1,” by Beyonce
“The Math,” by Hilary Duff
“Pi,” by Kate Bush
“Einstein,” by Kelly Clarkson
“Honey Pie,” by the Beatles
“Algebra,” by Jason Derulo
“Black Math,” by the White Stripes
“Perfect Circle,” by R.E.M.

In 2011, a Japanese mathematician broke his own world record for determining the value of pi, calculating the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter to 10 trillion digits on a homemade computer, reports The Telegraph.

In “Alex's Adventures in Numberland,” author Alex Bellos describes how pi has inspired a particularly tricky form of creative "constrained" writing called Pilish. These are poems – or "piems" – in which the number of letters of successive words is determined by pi, reports New Scientist.