A History of Pi

A History of Pi by Petr Beckmann

189 pages

Started: 21 October 2008
Finished: 5 November 2008

A fascinating look at the history of the discovery and calculation of the value of Pi. Beckmann looks at math from it’s early forms and how the quest to calculate pi led to many other innovations in the world of mathematics. The men who calculated it, how they did it, how they built on what others had done, the lives they led, the societies they lived in, all of it plays into the story.

Beckmann presents many of the formulas and proofs that were used, but you do not need a degree in mathematics to understand the story.

The book is well written and understandable, but the culture and society that Beckmann lived in (born in Czechoslovakia in 1924, lived there until 1963 when he moved to the US, published the book in 1971), definitely comes across in his writing. There were so many times where the way he worded some jab at something had me cracking up.

It was a fun book to read, both for the mathematical history as well as the social commentary.

Rating: 9