Definition:Pi/Historical Note/Indiana Pi Bill
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Historical Note on $\pi$ (Pi)
The Indiana Pi Bill was an attempt by Edward J. Goodwin to legislate on the value of $\pi$.
Goodwin proposed bill #246 of the $1897$ sitting of the Indiana General Assembly, under the title:
- A Bill for an act introducing a new mathematical truth and offered as a contribution to education to be used only by the State of Indiana free of cost by paying any royalties whatever on the same, provided it is accepted and adopted by the official action of the Legislature of 1897.
It somehow passed its first hearing.
However, before its second hearing, Clarence Abiathar Waldo, who happened to be present for the purpose of contributing towards another matter, was passed a copy of the bill and had the opportunity and capability to ensure that the bill was rejected.
According to the Indianapolis News article of $13$th February $1897$:
- ...the bill was brought up and made fun of. The Senators made bad puns about it, ridiculed it and laughed over it. The fun lasted half an hour. Senator Hubbell said that it was not meet for the Senate, which was costing the State $\$$250 a day, to waste its time in such frivolity. He said that in reading the leading newspapers of Chicago and the East, he found that the Indiana State Legislature had laid itself open to ridicule by the action already taken on the bill. He thought consideration of such a proposition was not dignified or worthy of the Senate. He moved the indefinite postponement of the bill, and the motion carried.
Also see
Sources
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $3 \cdotp 14159 \, 26535 \, 89793 \, 23846 \, 26433 \, 83279 \, 50288 \, 41972 \ldots$
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $3 \cdotp 14159 \, 26535 \, 89793 \, 23846 \, 26433 \, 83279 \, 50288 \, 41971 \ldots$