"How I wish I could calculate pi" analogs...

Question

You might know the mnemonic for $\pi$ in the title or even this more elaborated one:

Sir, I bear a rhyme excelling
In mystic force, and magic spelling
Celestial sprites elucidate
All my own striving can't relate
Or locate they who can cogitate
And so finally terminate.
Finis.

Are there any for other than $\pi$? Feel free to create your own! Here's my try for $\gamma$:

"0 Euler Leonhard" $\to 0,58$

Choose your favorite language and feel free to post a riddle...

Write the mnemonic first, and define the number to match it :) . — Andreas Blass, Jan 22 '13 at 23:03
Doesn't really fall under your category, but this is a pretty cool (and effective!) way of memorizing a lot of $\pi$. — Alfonso Fernandez, Jan 22 '13 at 23:03
Wikipedia has this info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piphilology — Matthew Conroy, Jan 22 '13 at 23:11
that's actually quite entertaining... i think this can be somewhat automated in that a program can be made to generate nonsensical sentences that are grammatically correct. — thang, Jan 22 '13 at 23:12

Brian M. Scott · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-23T01:31:55.490

12

My spirits I brighten by leveling a mountain of decrepit milk maids furiously canoodling with lords of the manor.

edited Jan 23 '13 at 01:31

answered Jan 22 '13 at 23:21

Brian M. Scott

631,399

4

Yes, canoodling is underused. – Will Jagy Jan 22 '13 at 23:22
2

+1 nice – draks ... Jan 22 '13 at 23:28
canoodling has 10 letters? – Jonas Meyer Jan 23 '13 at 01:23
2

@Jonas: Yes: $10\equiv0\pmod{10}$. – Brian M. Scott Jan 23 '13 at 01:28
But isn't $9$ missing then? – Jonas Meyer Jan 23 '13 at 01:29
@Jonas: Eep! You’re right; I left out a word. – Brian M. Scott Jan 23 '13 at 01:31
Nice; I was thinking an adverb would fit, but I wouldn't have thought of as good of one. – Jonas Meyer Jan 23 '13 at 01:32
3

@Jonas: I was just sorry that wantonly was too short! – Brian M. Scott Jan 23 '13 at 01:33

score 7 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 22 '13 at 23:05

7

Martin Gardner quoted one for $\pi$ which I like:

How I wish a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy chapters involving quantum mechanics.

answered Jan 22 '13 at 23:05

coffeemath

30,190
2
34
53

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 22 '13 at 23:14

4

Maybe have a look at:

Ivars Peterson's MathTrek

Pi P H I L O L O G Y

Regards

answered Jan 22 '13 at 23:14

Amzoti

56,629

Nice...I hadn't seen this earlier! – amWhy May 07 '13 at 00:29
@amWhy: I am always surprised by the weirdness one encounters at times. I just reread the account about an professor analyzing math terms, then using the analysis to write a bogus paper and it was accepted by a (non) reputable journal. I also knew a professor who used math to write poetry and some of it was actually very good! – Amzoti May 07 '13 at 00:36

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 23 '13 at 00:23

3

At the Feynman point:

Calculate perimeter: eightieth, ninetieth, hundredth: endlessly!

answered Jan 23 '13 at 00:23

Peter Phipps

3,100

+1 funny. Here's the link: Feynman point – draks ... Jan 23 '13 at 08:19

score 3 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 23 '13 at 00:46

3

Of matrices becoming usually singular consider likeliness reasoning, given sufficient hugeness (unlike merely randomness), he said, so I do.

Solution: http://oeis.org/A048651/

answered Jan 23 '13 at 00:46

John Dvorak

925

score 2 · Answer 6 · answered Jan 23 '13 at 00:24

2

An ostrich, a platypus, an elephant, a tapeworm, in selfsame boat abide cataclysm?

answered Jan 23 '13 at 00:24

daniel

10,501

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Jan 23 '13 at 21:01

1

Que j'aime à faire apprendre une nombre utile aux sages, immortel archimède, artiste ingènieux...

answered Jan 23 '13 at 21:01

draks ...

18,755

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Jan 23 '13 at 11:10

0

I understand that if you recite Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, you repectively get $\frac{2e^2+3}{3π +1}$ and $2\sqrt{π} + 1$. Easy calculations then give you $π$ and $e$ making all other mnemonics superfluous.

answered Jan 23 '13 at 11:10

k.stm

19,187

1

How does this work? Can you give an example calculation using Homer's Odyssey... – draks ... Jan 23 '13 at 11:42
@draks... I'm afraid you'll have to take the Ancient Greek original. – k.stm Jan 23 '13 at 11:44
D'oh, nuts! Hmm Donuts, but go ahead... – draks ... Jan 23 '13 at 12:39
2

Citation needed? – cobaltduck Jan 23 '13 at 14:49

"How I wish I could calculate pi" analogs...

8 Answers8