Pi Day – Hālau 'Aha Hui Lānākila

Today in History: Albert Einstein Was Born on “Pi Day” (3.14), 1879
On March 14, 1879 — 136 years ago today — Albert Einstein, one of the most influential theoretical physicists in history, was born. Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity radically transformed humans’ view of the universe; and his work in particle and energy theory contributed to the development of quantum mechanics. In 1905, at the age of 26, Einstein earned a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Zurich while he worked at the Swiss patent office. During the year (1905), Einstein wrote 5 pioneering papers that would have a profound effect on man’s understanding of the universe:
(1) In a ground-breaking paper entitled, “On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Lights,” Einstein proposed that light was composed of individual quanta, “photon” particles, which could collectively behave as a wave. This proposal was instrumental in the formation of quantum theory. In formulating this proposal, Einstein studied the photoelectric effect — some solids emit electrically charged particles when light hits them. His observations about the photoelectric effect eventually won him a Nobel Prize in Physics (1921).
(2) In another paper helping to prove the existence of atoms, Einstein put forth a displacement formula to calculate the size and atoms in a given space.
(3) In yet another 1905 paper, Einstein explained in precise detail, via a mathematical expression, the constant erratic motion of particles suspended in a fluid (a phenomenon named “Brownian motion,” after the initial observer, botanist Robert Brown). Einstein explanations in papers (2) and (3) provided conclusive evidence for the existence of atoms.
(4) Einstein’s 4th pioneering paper of 1905 was on the subject of “special relativity” theory — time and space are not independent entities, but are dependent on the motion of the observer, and the speed of light is a constant to all observers everywhere.
(5) In a final 1905 paper, Einstein explored the mathematics of his special relativity theory and concluded that mass and energy were equivalent and could be determined by the formula, E=mc2.
Also, on this day, math lovers celebrate “Pi Day.” Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, and it is constant for all circles regardless of their size. For any circle, it turns out that the exact ratio can never be determined (even though the ratio is the same for all circles) because no recognizable digital pattern emerges when any circle’s circumference is divided by its diameter. Computer scientists using supercomputers have calculated billions of divisional digits, and it appears there is no repeatable pattern of numbers into infinity. But the number always starts out: 3.1415 (or today’s date — a once in a hundred year occurrence — and Einstein’s birthday, every year, 3.14!).

YouTube videos:
•Albert Einstein—The Quantum Theory (2014) (1:29:52):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0hwuyOmd4k
•The Magic and Mystery of Pi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcIbCZR0HbU
•What is Pi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mz7xU3zZvk

Web sources:
•http://www.history.com/this-day-in-his…/albert-einstein-born
•http://www.biography.com/news/pi-day-albert-einstein-facts
•http://www.biography.com/ne…/albert-einstein-video-biography
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownian_motion
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity
•http://www.nj.com/…/princeton_more_than_just_a_place_albert…
•http://www.biography.com/people/albert-einstein-9285408…

•http://www.piday.org/
•http://www.livescience.com/34132-what-makes-pi-special.html
•http://time.com/3743279/pi-day-2015-wackiest-celebrations/
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi

Book sources:
• A. Einstein: Autobiographical Notes by Albert Einstein.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812691792/ref=as_li_tl…
• –Einstein: His Life and Universe_ by Walter Isaacson.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743264746/ref=as_li_tl…

Image credits:
•Left Bottom: Pi 3/14/15 will be epic: http://quickbase.intuit.com/…/an-ode-to-pi-on-pi-day-best-…/
•Right: Albert Einstein at about age 26. By Lucien Chavan [1] (1868 – 1942), a friend of Einstein’s when he was living in Berne. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/…/File%3AEinstein_patentoffice…

If there was ever a year to commemorate Pi Day in a big way, this is it. The date of this Saturday—3/14/15—gives us not just the first three digits (as in most years) but the first five digits of pi, the famous irrational number 3.14159265359… that expresses the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

For an extra thrill, be sure to observe Pi Day on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53 (A.M. and/or P.M.!), which will give you a full 10 digits of pi—an occurrence that will not roll around for another century. (Of course, the specialness of this year really only works in the U.S. and other places that commonly put the month before the day, rather than in Europe, say, where they would note the date as 14/3/15.) And if this Saturday is not already special enough, it is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, giving math and science enthusiasts even more reason to revel.

Pi fans can celebrate this weekend with a wealth of math- (and baked goods–) related opportunities. Traditionalists will of course bake pies, both because of the pun and because of their circular nature (not to mention their tastiness). For the sugar-averse, pizzas have the right shape, and the right first two letters as well.

Science museums around the country are also planning live events. The National Museum of Mathematics in New York City, for example, will gather people in Madison Square Park to light up a circle around the central fountain and compare its circumference with the distance across it—accompanied by free hot chocolate and pie. Other festivities are being held at Exploratorium in San Francisco, the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, Princeton University (which is having a pie-eating contest, among other activities) and the National Cryptologic Museum near Washington, D.C., among many more.

If you bake a pie, eat a pizza or party with other pi fans, please send us a picture and description of how you observed the Pi Day of the Century for a gallery we plan to post next week.

Source: Scientific American

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