source file: mills2.txt Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 15:23:34 -0800 Subject: RE: Greeks and pi (Paul E) From: Manuel.Op.de.Coul@ezh.nl (Manuel Op de Coul) From: PAULE >This question is prompted by discussions on ancient greek ideas. >If irrationals were treated differently to rationals, how did the >ancient Greeks handle Pi? >lucy The ancient Greeks were well versed in rational approximations to pi, and the proof that pi was ultimately irrational was unknown to them. See "A History of Pi" by Petr Beckmann, which unfortunately has no discussion of Ramanujan, the greatest pi-man ever. Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Thu, 6 Mar 1997 00:28 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA07223; Thu, 6 Mar 1997 00:28:36 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA07132 Received: from by ella.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) id PAA11971; Wed, 5 Mar 1997 15:26:16 -0800 Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 15:26:16 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@ella.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@ella.mills.edu