Re:All Rational Approximations of Pi Are Useless
by Someone on Monday October 01, 2012 @04:19PM
(#4599136)
I would think most slide rules have a marker for pi that make this even easier.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:All Rational Approximations of Pi Are Useless
by lutusp on Tuesday October 02, 2012 @01:07PM
(#4603017)
Given how slide rules work, there would have to be a great number of marks, for the same reason that there cannot be only one unique ratio of integers that approximates Pi.
Re:All Rational Approximations of Pi Are Useless
by Someone on Tuesday October 02, 2012 @05:51PM
(#4604567)
I do not think you have thought that through. You need only one mark for PI on every part of a sliderule to multiply or divide by pi. See for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slide_rule_cursor.jpg
Re:All Rational Approximations of Pi Are Useless
by lutusp on Tuesday October 02, 2012 @11:30PM
(#4605673)
> I do not think you have thought that through.
My remark was only in the context of the present conversation, where Pi is representable by the ratios of various integers.
I used a lot of slide rules during my years as a NASA engineer, but none of those I owned had marks for physical constants -- too bad, because it's a very good idea.