this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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Math Memes

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(the title says "circle number", but there is no appropriate english translation that i could find)

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week ago (4 children)

The thing is, 2π is quite often for sure, but 1π isn't that rare and doubling is so much easier than halving that π still wins against τ

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's just more intuitive to use tau.

Take for example, the area of a circle.

If we define circumference as C = τr, then we can actually just use the general formula for an area of a polygon (A = 1/2 p a), which for a circle (infinite-sided polygon) becomes A = 1/2 τr r. C=p and r=a is just circle vs polygon language.

Of course πr^2 is the same formula, it's just obscured a little bit more. But now you can see why it's not always 2π - it's because we actually did divide tau in half.

Anyway, I just think its kinda neat. I don't think tau will catch on though 🙂.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Please label your variables! Here's a table for you to fill in:

  • | name | meaning | dimension |
  • | r | radius of a circle | length |

By providing this information, you make your math more accessible!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Sorry, I would have done a better job, but that post was already super tedious to do in mobile. And r is the only variable I failed to define at all, but I figured people with opinions on pi would already know that one 🙂

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

When it comes to pi, doubling is exactly as hard as halving.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

Calculators usually have a pi button but not a tau button :shrug🤷‍♀️

[–] agamemnonymous 2 points 1 week ago

π is the ratio between a circle's diameter and its circumference. While diameter was much easier to measure historically, that ratio is unnecessarily arbitrary.

τ is the ratio between a circle's radius and circumference. The radius much more directly defines a circle, so τ is the more fundamental ratio.

½τ more obviously indicates the geometric significance of its coefficient than 2π.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

i'm in favor of renaming 2π to σ because the symbol looks like somebody is taking a measurement of the circumference of a circle.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

3.141592653589793238? Nah
6.283185307179586476? Nah
9.869604401089358618? Yeah

Edit (x5) edits are hard

[–] silverchase 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] silverchase 4 points 1 week ago

import ctypes

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

what is the third number?

edit: ooh, pi^2, i looked it up on the internet (number sequences online lookup tool)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Just call it Ludolphian number smh

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

japanese Rudolph

[–] someacnt 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

e^iτ^ = 1 though

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Kreiszahl in der Tat!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

i wish i could roll like that <3