In what might be one of the nerdiest debates of all time, mathematicians are divided about the use of Pi (which starts 3.14) over Tau (which starts 6.28) in geometry. The ongoing debate about Pi vs. Tau is colored by the popularity of Pi, which has its own “day” celebrated on 3/14, most often with the consumption of pies. But while Tau might not have any baked goods to offer, today (6/28) is its turn in the spotlight.
Mathematician Michael Hartl, writer of the Tau Manifesto, has created a musical composition based on the digits of Tau to celebrate what makes this number so much better than Pi. According to Hartl’s Manifesto, one of the main arguments for why Tau is better than Pi is that Tau is the ration of a circumference to the radius of a circle, and defining circles by their radius is much simpler for equations. Pi is also a 2-factor number, but Tau is based on a single unit, which is three quarters of a turn around a Tau-defined circle or simply three quarters of a Tau radian.
(via How To Geek)
