Thursday, February 07, 2008

Indiana Almost Legislated Pi

The Indiana Pi Bill, 1897


This is Indiana House Bill No. 246, 1897,
known as the Indiana pi bill. Towards the end of section 2 it says plainly that "The ratio of the diameter and circumference is as five-fourths
to four
," which means pi is 3.2. The section goes on the
criticize (ungenerously, I'd say) past values of pi as "wholly wanting and misleading."

Click here to
return to "Indiana Pi."



ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL No. 246


A Bill for an act introducing a new mathematical truth and offered
as a contribution to education to be used only by the State of Indiana
free of cost by paying any royalties whatever on the same, provided it
is accepted and adopted
by the official action of the Legislature of 1897.

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