Complex Numbers

Pi Day

As the literal interpretation of the name of this blog refers to math, and as today (3/14) is Pi Day, I thought I'd say something about pi.

Pi is cool.

That is all.

...

Okay, that's not all.

I had an engineering professor who told some version of the following joke (it helps to imagine it being told in a rural Virginia accent, but most of you probably haven't been exposed to this particular linguistic jewel collection, so just imagine a standard Southern accent):

Jim-Bob was the first in his family to go to college. He comes back for Thanksgiving dinner and they're sitting around the table.

"So," says Grandpa, "what did you learn in that there fancy school of yours?"

"Well... we learned πr²."

"Pi r square? What the hell are they teaching you younguns these days, anyway? Everybody knows pie are round. Cornbread are square!"

I didn't say it was a good joke.