American Pi

WASHINGTON — Today, we celebrate the life of pi, that mathematical constant familiar to all geometry students.

Why today? Because it is March 14, commemorated by math and science lovers the world over as Pi Day, in recognition of the constant, which is rounded off as 3.14.

And lest you think today is just for the geeks, Congress has gotten into the spirit, with the House of Representatives this week passing a resolution designating March 14, 2009, as National Pi Day.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage our nation’s students of all ages, schools and teachers to observe Pi Day with fun math and science activities and events,” said Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., a member of the House Science Committee who managed the bill on the floor.

“Pi is just one of those special numbers,” said Brad Gray, a math teacher at Gordon Lee High School in Chickamauga, Ga. “You can use it in so many ways and figure out so many things using pi.”

Mr. Gray said the geometry and aglebra III classes at his school celebrated Pi Day before leaving for spring break.

“It’s a good way to incorporate some math-related activities into the holiday,” Mr. Gray said.

While math and science may not be some students’ idea of fun, the lawmakers who introduced the bill said there is a seriousness behind their lighthearted legislation: the nation is falling behind in global competitiveness.

The resolution urges schools and educators to engage students in math and science activities from a young age, and it also recognizes the importance of the National Science Foundation’s math and science education programs.

“We need to ensure not only that the U.S. produces the world’s top scientists, mathematicians and engineers, but that every student is prepared for the high-paying, technical jobs of the 21st century,” said Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., who sponsored the measure. “Getting students interested in math and science is an important first step.”

The resolution was backed by several tech companies, including Microsoft and Intel, as well as science groups, such as the Association for Competitive Technology and the American Chemical Society.

“We’re glad Congress is taking a stand,” said James Brown, a spokesman for the American Chemical Society. “We have to have good role models, and this is a good moment for people to honor math.”

So how can students and schools have fun with pi, an irrational number that represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter and has been calculated to more than a trillion digits?

Rep. Davis had some ideas: “Second-graders could calculate the area of a pizza ‘pie’ at a Pi Day pizza party. Sixth-graders could learn about Newton’s Laws of Motion with a game of bocce ball. Tenth-graders could learn about the hyperbolic functions by shooting Nerf rockets in the park.

“I leave the specifics to the schools, but my advice is to go and have fun. Let the students see firsthand how math and science is fun and relevant,” he said.

Not everybody is onboard with this pi devotion. Ten House members voted against the resolution.

Math haters? Perhaps, or in at least one case, a pi lover who loves too much.

“I cannot support Pi Day as just one day. It should go on forever,” wrote Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, on the social networking site Twitter, a few posts after mocking Congress for spending time on the resolution. “I voted ‘Nay.’ It passed 391-10.”