Memorise pi

[BigMoosie]

I wrote a script that is designed to aid the process of trying to memorise 100 digits of pi. I played with it for an hour last night and this morning I still remember them, I will play it every now and again until the numbers are off by heart. Here is the page you can test it out on:

 

http://www.random.abrahamjoffe.com.au/public/JavaScripts/pi.htm

 

Let me know what you think and if you can imagine perhaps a more effective method I might try.

 

3.

14159 26535 89793 23846

26433 83279 50288 41971

69399 37510 58209 74944

59230 78164 06286 20899

86280 34825 34211 70679

[Drake]

Similar to the way I learned japanese is that I made a program similar to this in macromedia flash. This method is very effective, however I would suggest you create a flash version and have a sound play for each number. And for those who wish to go faster, use a non-audio version.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

The other question is "Why bother?"

[BigMoosie]

Similar to the way I learned japanese is that I made a program similar to this in macromedia flash. This method is very effective, however I would suggest you create a flash version and have a sound play for each number. And for those who wish to go faster, use a non-audio version.

 

I'm not into flash really, never have been. It is possible to apply audio using only JavaScript and HTML though.

 

The other question is "Why bother?"

 

For the love of math! Well, actually I agree, it probably would have been better to memorise the periodic table if anything but hey, now I can say I know pi better than you!

[AL]

There really isn't any math involved in rote memorization of pi.

 

That said though, there are actual pi memorization/recitation contests. The "pros" use word-length mnemonic poems to recite pi. That is, for each digit of pi, they find a word that has that number value of letters, and they assemble a poem which they memorize in place of pi itself. The basic mnemonic they probably taught you in junior high was "How I wish I could calculate pi," which has 3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9 and 2 letters respectively, the first 7 digits of pi.

 

The current world record is held by Hiroyuki Goto, who recited 42,000 digits from memory.

http://www.pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/details/goto.htm

 

Not sure what sort of prize he got, but I'll pat him on the back.

[BigMoosie]

Yeah I have heard of methods like that.

That site seems a little shonky, have you had a look at their list? http://pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/memo/index.html One person on there has memorised 20 digits, like thats some kind of acheivement? Anything less than several thousand is not worthy of mention in my opinion.

Though I do not argue that that man didn't get 42,000 digits, I have heard of similar feats.

[AL]

I actually pulled Hiroyuki Goto's name from a book on pi that I have, which mentions him in passing as the world-record holder. For purposes of this thread, I just wanted to find a quick link on the web to his name so you guys can click rather than cite the book I have which I'm certain none of you will go out and buy.

 

But if you're curious, it's called The Joy of Pi by David Blatner.

[Sisyphus]

100 digits? So, let's see, if we use that degree of accuracy to draw a circle the size of the entire observed universe, it will deviate from a perfect circle by less than the quantum uncertainty. So why are we trying to memorize more than that? Don't tell me it's the love of math, because rote recitation of digits is not math. I smell an obsessive/compulsive.