The Discovery That Transformed Pi

How Newton Changed the Way We Calculate Pi

For millennia, mathematicians calculated π using geometry and slow convergence. Then Newton introduced a revolutionary approach using calculus, drastically accelerating the process.

References:

• Books and Academic Sources:
  • Arndt, J., & Haenel, C. (2001). Pi-Unleashed. Springer Science & Business Media. Link
  • Dunham, W. (1990). Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics. Wiley. Link
  • Borwein, J. M. (2014). The Life of π: From Archimedes to ENIAC and Beyond. In From Alexandria, Through Baghdad (pp. 531–561). Springer. Link

Special Thanks:

• Alex Kontorovich – Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University and Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Public Dissemination of Mathematics at the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)

Credits:

• Written by: Derek Muller & Alex Kontorovich
• Animation by: Ivy Tello
• Filming: Derek Muller & Raquel Nuno
• Edited by: Derek Muller
• Music: Jonny Hyman & Petr Lebedev
• Additional Music: Epidemic Sound
  • "Particle Emission"
  • "Into the Forest"
  • "Stavselet"
  • "Face of the Earth"
  • "Firefly in a Fairytale"
• Thumbnail by: Gianmarco Malandra & Karri Denise