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From: ntt@dciem.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Newsgroups: net.math,net.legal,net.misc
Subject: State law defining Pi (part 1 of 3: the truth - a brief summary)
Message-ID: <814@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Mar-84 18:05:56 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.814
Posted: Thu Mar 29 18:05:56 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Mar-84 18:51:20 EST
References: <222@sjuvax.UUCP> <957@qubix.UUCP>, <174@iwu1a.UUCP>, <998@dartvax.UUCP>, <438@hound.UUCP>
Organization: NTT Systems Inc., Toronto, Canada
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I posted to net.misc as well because that's where the topic originated.
The article posted there by Betsy Hanes Perry (dartvax!betsy) is correct
in substance (in particular, there was no religious connection, just a
crank).  I have more facts and some corrections.  I am reasonably sure
that any references to *any* state setting pi to 3 (or any other value)
by legislation really refer to this event.

The law was proposed in Indiana in 1897.  It would have set the value
of Pi to 3.2 (*not* 3); also, sqrt(2) would become 10/7, and the area of a
circle would become ((pi^2)/4)*r^2 -- which is 2.56*r^2 since pi = 3.2.
The bill was passed by the state House of Representatives, but the state
Senate "suspended consideration indefinitely", so it never became law.

Two longer following articles will contain more story (and source info),
and the complete text of the bill with my annotations.  Both may be amusing.

Mark Brader