An Infinitely Awesome Celebration – Pi Day 2023

In celebration of Pi Day, held annually on March 14, Marlborough’s Math Department hosted an afternoon of festivities to mark the occasion. Celebrated since 1988, Pi Day was first organized by physicist Larry Shaw as a day-long event at the San Francisco Exploratorium. March 14 was chosen as the date for this annual observance since three, one, and four are the first three digits of pi, and it also happened to fall on Albert Einstein’s birthday. At Marlborough, students were able to show off their mathematical abilities by solving pi-related math problems. In exchange for a correct solution, students redeemed slices of actual pie as a reward. Another way to earn a slice of pie was to demonstrate memorization skills and recite the first 14 digits of pi from memory. 

The main event was a competition to see which student could recite the most digits of pi. The competition was fierce; students excitedly studied for a competitive edge in pursuit of bragging rights and Jeni’s Ice Cream gift certificates. Bea W. ’25 recited 161 digits of pi and earned the first place prize. In second place was Isabelle F. ’25 who recited 160 digits of pi, Kailyn S. ’25 came in third place after reciting 136 digits, and Molly S. ’23 claimed fourth place reciting 100 digits of pi. It was a great afternoon honoring our dedicated math enthusiasts and future mathematicians.

Marlborough’s Mathematics Department prepares students for college-level mathematics, teaches students to become independent problem solvers, and strives to motivate students to appreciate the elegance and wonder of mathematics.