The Mathematics Department at Plainfield High School Central Campus is currently planning its annual Pi Day Celebration. Pi Day honors the irrational number pi, which is defined to be the measure of the circumference of a circle divided by the measure of the diameter of the circle. The value of pi is approximately 3.14, which is why pi day is celebrated on March 14th.
On Monday, March 14th, all mathematics classes will be completing a variety of activities focusing on pi. For example, some students will complete the Buffon’s Needle experiment. Buffon's Needle refers to a simple Monte Carlo method for the estimation of the value of pi. Other students will research local pizza restaurants to discover which restaurant sells the most pizza for the least cost. Higher level classes will investigate Archimedes method for calculating pi. Archimedes was the first to give a scientific method for calculating pi to arbitrary accuracy.
To add a little sweetness to the celebration, students were able to purchase pie to eat. Additionally, the math department will hold the 4th annual Pie-In-The-Face Contest. Math teachers collected donations from students throughout the week of March 7-11. The teachers that collected the most money will have a pie thrown in his or her face on Pi Day. This year, all of the donations will benefit the Connie Puetz Memorial Scholarship Fund.
