We begin our March celebration on the 14th by enjoying pizza, cherry, apple, or all of the aforementioned pies, for the 14th of March, the 3rd month is Pi Day: 3/14. As mouthwatering as that is, pi is the basis for computer graphics. The irrational number has been a fascination of mathematicians and fiction writers for centuries. Archimedes approximated pi using the Pythagorean theorem by creating faceted slices on the outside and side of a circle. Facials are still employed in computer graphics to approximate a circle or curved surface and reduce computational time.
Pi (π) has been known for almost 4,000 years, and it was teased out by the great mathematician Archimedes on March 14, 209 BC—give or take a year or two and a day and month or two or three.
The Greek letter π was introduced by William Jones in 1706 as the pi symbol and popularized by Leonhard Euler in 1737. Pi, the number, the symbol, and the impact, once learned, can’t be unlearned.
After the overindulgence of pie consumption comes the ides, or idus, or (in Maine) adze of March, a moment of reflection on the symmetry of the solar equinox and the balance of nature, photonic emersion, and the emergence of spring and renewal (except for Julius Caesar, it didn’t work out too well for him).
The celebrating doesn’t slow down. On March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, Irish and non-Irish alike celebrate in no small fashion by painting the town (and rivers) green. And, as if that wasn’t enough, this year there’s a twofer: It is also the opening day of Nvidia’s GTC in beautiful downtown San Jose—gateway to the understated but always delightful Gilroy. But wait, there’s more. Every year, on the third day of the third week of the third month—which is March 19 this year—we commemorate 3-D Day. It’s almost too much for the brain, stomach, and bladder to process.
A busy time for those in the CG and AI biz, circles, 3D images, pie, green beer, and tech.