A History of π

What Hacker News says

1. saityiJan 2022
   Introduction to Graph Theory - Richard J. Trudeau

   A History of Pi - Petr Beckmann

   Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics - William Dunham

   How to Bake Pi - Eugenia Chang

   These are all sort of 'pop-math' books -- that is, they're more intended to spark a joy & love for math than teach rigorous mathematics. Great Theorems and A History of Pi include a lot of history (edit to add: in addition to covering the math involved!) -- did you know some mathematicians in history would duel over their theorems? That theorems were a carefully guarded secret instead of something you shared?

   Introduction to Graph Theory is specifically intended as an introduction to mathematics for 'the mathematically traumatized'.

   In my opinion, after reading these, if you've sparked a joy for the puzzles and fun of mathematics, then I would then suggest branching out into more formal presentations of them relevant to your interests... it's much easier to slog through a book on abstract mathematics when you receive from enjoyment from the puzzles presented.

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2. Jun8Mar 2019
   If you're interested in the mathematical development of Pi the book A History of Pi is a must read: https://www.amazon.com/History-Pi-Petr-Beckmann/dp/031238185...
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3. raintreesFeb 2019
   Likely listed elsewhere, from the article for convenience:

   Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea - Charles Seife

   Measurement - Paul Lockhart

   Prelude to Mathematics - W. W. Sawyer

   Proofs from The Book - Aigner and Ziegler

   The Joy of x - Steven Strogatz

   Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension - Matt Parker

   What is Mathematics? - Courant and Robbins

   A History of PI - Petr Beckmann

   An Imaginary Tale - Paul Nahin

   e: The Story of a Number - Eli Maor

   Imagining Numbers - Barry Mazur

   Journey Through Genius - William Dunham

   Prime Obsession - John Derbyshire

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4. Jun8May 2014
   If you're interested in pi, the book A History of Pi by Petr Beckman is a must read, not only for the good information but also for his nonconventional approach.

   Note that Archimedes used a 96-sided polygon to estimate bounds on the value of pi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi)! This was quite a feat since arithmetic calculations and algebraic was one area that ancient Greeks were weak at.

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5. Jun8Feb 2011
   Why are people so fascinated with pi? I know, I know, long history, interesting twists and turns (you've just got to read Petr Beckman's A History of Pi), but I mean most people don't know that history. Why not e (there are cool phrases to memorize that, too)? Or, why not the value of the fine structure constant, that holds the mystery of the universe.

   My theory is that pi is the first interesting mathematical number that people often encounter in grade school (even before sqrt(2)), so it holds a special place in their fascination.

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6. silotisSep 2017
   A rather important bit from the Wikipedia page to keep in mind when reading that quote:

   "His account was largely sourced from a 1797 work by Johann Beckmann titled A History of Inventions, Discoveries, and Origins.[11] In fact, Beckmann's account, and thus Mackay's by derivation, was primarily sourced to three anonymous pamphlets published in 1637 with an anti-speculative agenda.[36] Mackay's vivid book was popular among generations of economists and stock market participants. His popular but flawed description of tulip mania as a speculative bubble remains prominent, even though since the 1980s economists have debunked many aspects of his account."

   Also see the "Modern views" section. Basically, as far as anyone can tell Mackay's account of tulip mania is mostly bullshit.

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