Teaching Approximations (was Re: Microcode, which is a no-go for

[Chuck Guzis]

On 1/8/19 1:31 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
>
> I first encountered it about 60 years ago, in fifth grade.  Our textbook
> said, "PI is about 3.1416 or 22/7."  Our teacher insisted that that
> sentence meant "PI is about 3.1416, or exactly 22/7."  I argued it.  I
> pointed out that 22/7 was about 3.1429, and "why would they say 'about
> 3.1416' instead of 'about 3.1429' if it were actually 22/7?"  I got sent
> to the principal's office.  My father, who COULD recite a dozen digits
> of PI gave me a hard time about "staying out of trouble".
>

3.142 was good enough for Edward Elgar.

--Chuck