Pi Trivia Quiz

Question 1

Who, in 1706, first gave the Greek letter &ldquo;pi&rdquo; its current mathematical definition?

Accepted Answer

William Jones

Answer

Albert Einstein

Answer

Attila the Hun

Answer

Archimedes

Answer

Napoleon Bonaparte

Question 2

Pi is transcendental.  What does this mean, in mathematics?

Accepted Answer

It cannot be expressed as an integer, or as a root or quotient of integers

Answer

It is equal to the ratio of two integers

Answer

Its square root is imaginary

Answer

It was Ralph Waldo Emerson’s favorite number.

Question 3

What is the earliest known reference to pi in history?

Accepted Answer

An Egyptian papyrus scroll, written approx. 1650 BC by Ahmes the Scribe

Answer

The Rosetta Stone, approx. 200 BC

Answer

The Bible

Answer

Euclid’s Elements, written in the 3rd century BC

Question 4

People tried for centuries to &ldquo;square the circle&rdquo;.  What were they trying to do?

Accepted Answer

Use a straightedge and compass to construct a square exactly equal in area to a given circle

Answer

Construct a square that perfectly circumscribes (surrounds) a given circle

Answer

Determine the value of pi squared

Answer

Multiply a circle by itself

Answer

Alter a recipe intended for a round pan so that it would fit exactly into a square pan

Question 5

What is the first non-zero digit in the decimal expansion of &pi; (pi) after the decimal point?

Accepted Answer

1

Answer

2

Answer

3

Answer

4

Question 6

Are pi&rsquo;s digits periodic?  In other words, do the digits ever repeat themselves in any pattern?

Accepted Answer

No.  Every periodic number is rational, but pi is irrational

Answer

Yes.  The digits repeat themselves every 6,000,000 decimal places

Answer

Yes.  Every infinitely long number repeats itself

Answer

Perhaps.  Not enough digits of pi have been calculated to know yet

Question 7

Pi is an irrational number.  What does that really mean?

Accepted Answer

it is a real number, but can’t be expressed as a ratio of two integers

Answer

Its digits cannot be rationed out evenly

Answer

Nobody with sound judgement has anything to do with it

Question 8

Among the digits of pi currently known, the concentration of each of the digits 0-9 are pretty close to equal.  However, in the first 30 places of pi&rsquo;s decimal expansion, which digit is completely missing?

Accepted Answer

0

Answer

7

Answer

2

Answer

8

Question 9

What is the &ldquo;formal&rdquo; definition of pi?

Accepted Answer

the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter

Answer

the surface area of a sphere of diameter 22/7

Answer

3.1415926

Answer

the radius of a circle

Answer

a delicious dessert

Question 10

Imagine if you wrapped a rope tightly around the earth at the equator.  How much longer would you have to make the rope if you wanted it to be exactly one foot above the surface all the way around?

Accepted Answer

2 ∏ feet

Answer

2 ∏ r feet, where r is the radius of the earth

Answer

∏ r ^2 feet

Pi Day Trivia Question and Answers

What is the date celebrated as Pi Day?

What is the numerical value of pi to two decimal places?

Who is credited with the first calculation of pi?

What is the symbol for pi?

In which year was the first official celebration of Pi Day held?

What is the circumference of a circle with a diameter of 1 unit in terms of pi?

Which famous physicist was born on Pi Day?

What is the formula for the area of a circle in terms of pi?

What is the name of the mathematical constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter?

How many digits of pi were calculated by the computer scientist Timothy Mullican in 2020?

What is the value of pi in degrees when converting a full circle?

What is the first digit of pi after the decimal point?

What is the name of the day that celebrates the mathematical constant pi?

What is the value of pi to 10 decimal places?

What is the name of the book that features a character named "Pi"?

What is the term for a number that cannot be expressed as a simple fraction, such as pi?

What is the value of pi in radians for a full circle?

What is the name of the formula that relates the circumference and diameter of a circle?

How many digits of pi did the mathematician Ludolph van Ceulen memorize?

What is the approximate value of pi to three decimal places?

What is the name of the mathematical series that can be used to calculate pi?

What is the name of the event where people recite digits of pi?

What is the name of the famous formula that includes pi, e, and 1?

What is the name of the mathematical constant that is the base of natural logarithms?

What is the name of the circle constant that is equal to pi times the radius?

What is the name of the famous mathematician who calculated pi using polygons?

What is the value of pi in a circle with a radius of 2?

What is the name of the contest where participants try to memorize as many digits of pi as possible?

What is the name of the mathematical constant that represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius?

What is the approximate value of pi to 20 decimal places?

What is the name of the famous mathematician who introduced the symbol π?

What is the name of the series that converges to pi/4?

What is the name of the mathematical concept that pi is a part of, which includes irrational and transcendental numbers?

What is the value of pi in a circle with a diameter of 10?

What is the name of the mathematical constant that is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius?

What is the approximate value of pi to 30 decimal places?

What is the name of the famous formula that relates pi to the sine function?

What is the value of pi in a circle with a radius of 5?

What is the name of the mathematical series that can be used to approximate pi using the arctangent function?

What is the name of the famous mathematician who proved that pi is irrational?

What is the approximate value of pi to 100 decimal places?