How To Learn Pi to 6, 8 & 10 Digits.

Pi is a mathematical constant. It is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter (circumference divided by diameter). Pi has an infinite number of digits in its representation and is non-repeating but is commonly approximated as 3.14159. It is typically represented as the Greek letter π.  The rough approximation is 22/7, but that is not entirely accurate. 

Here are two Mnemonic devices that can help one remember the value of Pi to 10, 6 and 8 digits.

• Grouping the digits as a telephone number  (10 digits)
  
  

           (314) 159-2653

• Using word substitutions - The number of letters in each word directly corresponds to the digits in                                                    Pi. 
  

         “Yes! I made a glass wolverine.” (6 digits)

            3   1    4     1     5         9


          “May I have a large container of coffee?”  (8 digits)

              3   1   4    1    5          9          2      6


If you decide to use word substitutions (sentences), be creative and make them fun to learn! You can learn Pi to as many digits as you like! The current official world record for memorizing Pi (verified by Guinness World Records) is held by Chao Lu of China. On November 20, 2005, Chao recited 67, 890 decimal places of Pi. That is a lot of numbers! Click here to read a short interview with Chao Lu regarding his remarkable accomplishment.


What Mnemonic devices do you use to remember Pi?