Mathematical Constant Quotes

Johnson was an incompetent scientist who had developed a method for “squaring a circle” which was in reality totally invalid. It involved the mathematical number Pi which is an infinite decimal but Johnson wanted it to be a fixed number. He persuaded members of the legislature that things would be better in the state if the value of Pi would be fixed by law. So a bill was introduced to make Pi equal to 3.2. Professor C. A. Waldo was horrified that the state would even attempt to legislate what is a mathematical phenomenon. However, Pi was long known to be an infinite decimal with no finite fixed number that can ever be accurate. There were religious and other legislative objections to the notion of an infinite number and one that was not defined as the common man could use it. Hence the proposed legislation. Even if there were a fixed decimal legislated for Pi, 3.2 was definitely in error. For hundreds of years mathematicians the world over had calculated PI to a number of decimal places and the 3.{596032} (commonly in use) was much closer. Professor Waldo persuaded the legislature to abandon their attempt to legislate science and mathematics, and this advice was generally heeded in the United States until some of the states with few scientists and few highly educated citizens began to ban the teaching of evolution. Science and mathematics do not lend themselves to politics and legislation, and still governments often try to legislate science and technology but rarely do it well and without error. The one exception is the setting of standards for units of weights and measurement where consensus is what is important and there is no scientifically right solution. For example, the standard length of a yard can be set at any distance as long as all agree to use that distance. Here government helps a great deal to forge and document the standard.