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▲ 2024 π DAY | 768 digits of `\pi` as a garden at night. Explore the gardens (BUY ARTWORK)

`\pi` Day 2014 Art Posters

▲ 2021 π DAY | Good things grow for those who wait.' edition.

▲ 2019 π DAY | Hundreds of digits, hundreds of languages and a special kids' edition.

▲ 2018 π DAY | Street maps to new destinations.

▲ 2017 π DAY | Imagine the sky in a new way.

▲ 2016 π APPROXIMATION DAY | What would happen if about right was right.

▲ 2016 π DAY | These digits really fall for each other.

▲ 2015 π DAY | A transcendental experience.

▲ 2014 π APPROXIMATION DAY | Spirals into roughness.

▲ 2014 π DAY | Hypnotizes you into looking.

▲ 2014 π DAY | Come into the fold.

▲ 2013 π DAY | Where it started.

▲ CIRCULAR π ART | And other distractions.

On March 14th celebrate `\pi` Day. Hug `\pi`—find a way to do it.

For those who favour `\tau=2\pi` will have to postpone celebrations until July 26th. That's what you get for thinking that `\pi` is wrong. I sympathize with this position and have `\tau` day art too!

If you're not into details, you may opt to party on July 22nd, which is `\pi` approximation day (`\pi` ≈ 22/7). It's 20% more accurate that the official `\pi` day!

Finally, if you believe that `\pi = 3`, you should read why `\pi` is not equal to 3.

support my work ·

Most of the art is available for purchase as framed prints and, yes, even pillows. Sleep's never been more important — I take custom requests.

For the 2014 `\pi` day, two styles of posters are available: folded paths and frequency circles.

The folded paths show `\pi` on a path that maximizes adjacent prime digits and were created using a protein-folding algorithm.

The frequency circles colourfully depict the ratio of digits in groupings of 3 or 6. Oh, look, there's the Feynman Point!

compute your own path

get simulation code

Download the HP lattice simulation binary. You'll need one of the three 2D methods — I used rem2dm, which does local and pull moves. If you'd like to learn more about the algorithm, read the publication.

A replica exchange Monte Carlo algorithm for protein folding in the HP model. Chris Thachuk, Alena Shmygelska and Holger H Hoos, BMC Bioinformatics 2007, 8:342 (17 Sep 2007).

download batch file

Download the batch file for 64- or 768-digit folding.

• 64 digit batch file
• 768 digit batch file

run simulation

When you run the 64-digit simulation, you're likely to find a path with E=-23, which is the lowest energy I've been able to sample. On my Intel Xeon E5540 (2.53 GHz) it takes anywhere from 1-30 seconds to find a E=-23 path (there are many possible paths at this energy), depending on the random seed. Here's the output of a typical run of the 64-digit folding simulation

> rem2dm -seq=hppphphphhhpphphhhppphpphhphhhphphppppphppphpphhhpphphpphpppphph
         -maxT=220 -numLocalSteps=500 -eng=100 -maxRunTime=60 -traceFile=pi.64 
         -minT=160 -expID=pi.64 -numReps=10 

REMC-HP2D-M

Begin Simulation
0.01: Current Best Solution: -8
0.01: Current Best Solution: -10
0.01: Current Best Solution: -13
0.02: Current Best Solution: -15
0.03: Current Best Solution: -16
0.03: Current Best Solution: -17
0.04: Current Best Solution: -18
0.04: Current Best Solution: -19
0.16: Current Best Solution: -20
0.27: Current Best Solution: -21
0.69: Current Best Solution: -22
36.23: Current Best Solution: -23
Real time: 120

ggslrrsrllssrrlrrllsrrlrrlslslrrsrlssrrsllrslrrlrsllsrsrrlsrssrs

         p--h--p         
         |     |           
         h--h  h--p--p--p
            |           |  
   p--p     h  H  h--p--p
   |  |     |  |  |        
p--h  h--h--p  p  p--p   
|              |     |     
p--p--h  h--p  p--p  p   
      |  |  |     |  |     
   h--h  h  h--p--h  h--p
   |     |              |  
   p--h  h  h--p--H  h--p
      |  |  |        |     
      p--p  p  p--h--h   
            |  |           
            p  p--h--p   
            |        |     
            p--p--h  h   
                  |  |     
                  p--p   

End Simulation

If you want to apply this to different number (e.g. φ or e ), you'll need to replace the digits with either p or h. Remember, the simulation will try to group the h's together. You can download 1,000,000 of π , φ and e .

The best path I could find for 768 digits is one with E=-223. In 1000s of simulations this solution came up only once. I also saw one path at E=-222. After that, there were many solutions at each of the less optimal energy levels.

If you manage to find a better one, let me know right away!

common problems

segmental fault

If you obtain a segmentation fault,

> ./rem2dlm
REMC-HP2D-LM

Begin Simulation
Real time: 0



Segmentation fault

don't panic just yet. The folding binaries don't do a lot of error checking, so you have to get the input parameters correct.

For example, if you do not include the -eng parameter, the code will segfault.

Try one of the batch files above (64 digit batch file, 768 digit batch file) or the following simple job

> bin/rem2dm -seq=hhpppphhhhpppphh -maxRunTime=5 -eng 10 
REMC-HP2D-M

Begin Simulation
3.13877e-17: Current Best Solution: -2
5.49284e-17: Current Best Solution: -3
1.0201e-16: Current Best Solution: -4
1.33398e-16: Current Best Solution: -5
Real time: 5

ggrllslsssrllsls
            
   p--p--p
   |     |  
   h  h--p
   |  |     
   H  h   
      |     
   H  h   
   |  |     
p--h  h   
|     |     
p--p--p   

If this segfaults, then you'll need to recompile the code (see below).

compile code (optional—only if binaries don't work)

Precompiled binaries are available for download directly: rem2dm, rem2dlm, rem2dpm, rem3dm, rem3dlm, rem3dpm.

If these don't work on your system, you need to recompile them. Download the the protein folding code and see INSTALL.txt for compilation instructions.