how to generate pi in c
Rick Stevens
ricks at nerd.com
Mon Dec 13 23:28:59 UTC 2010
On 12/13/2010 02:36 PM, Mike McCarty wrote:
> Marko Vojinovic wrote:
>> On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 8:43 AM, Mogens Kjaer<mk at lemo.dk> wrote:
>>>> http://www.kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ooura/pi_fft.html
>>>>
>>>> You'll need RAM to get many digits.
>>> 1.6 G decimals in 20 hours on a machine with 16G RAM, running
>>> x86_64 Fedora 12.
>>
>> Really, I'm curious, is there any real-world problem where anyone
>> would actually *need* pi to a G decimal places? I mean, are these kind
>> of computations actually useful for someone, or is it just a matter of
>> "we have the power to do it, so let's do it" thing? Other than entry
>> into the Guinness book of records, that is?
>
> Yes, there is. Belated response, I know.
>
> There are two important uses for such computations I can
> think of off the top of my head.
>
> First, it's a good test of the functionality of a new machine.
> When the first new unit runs off the factory floor, this type
> of lengthy computation with known results is a good test.
(Flash back 15 years) "I am Pentium of Borg. Division is futile. You
will be approximated."
> Second, there are certain theoretical ideas about the distribution
> of digits in transcendental numbers which can make progress via
> such lengthy computations.
>
> Nobody needs more than about 6 figures for doing any engineering
> work, however.
Is string theory, quantum mechanics or relativity the "truer" reflection
of reality? Hell, we sent space probes on close fly-bys of Uranus and
hit asteroids using good ol' Newtonian mechanics.
(Just twisting the tail!)
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