From: D. F. Siemens, Jr. (dfsiemensjr@juno.com)
Date: Wed Jun 04 2003 - 14:33:02 EDT
On Wed, 4 Jun 2003 13:05:04 -0400 "bivalve"
<bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com> writes [in part]:
> Several other possible explanations arise. One possibility is that
> you have succumbed to atheistic or pagan mathematical teaching and
> that pi really is three. As far as I know, no one has seriously
> promoted this view, though atheists think this would be in keeping
> with young-earth style literalism.
>
There was, many years ago, an offer to the Indiana Legislature which
would license the state's use of the discovery that the value of pi is 3
without charge. All others would have to pay to use the copyrighted
value. I read the original "proof" many years ago. I recall that it was
so convoluted that the value was apparently both 3 and something else
that clearly was not transcendental. A bill was introduced and came close
to passing--probably would have passed had not a professor from Indian U.
been in town at the time.
Dave
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