String Theorists Accidentally Find a New Formula for Pi – Scientific American

Two physicists, Arnab Priya Saha and Aninda Sinha from the Indian Institute of Science, have unexpectedly discovered new formulas for calculating pi while researching a unifying theory of fundamental forces in string theory. Their work, published in Physical Review Letters, reveals that their findings yield infinitely many equations for pi, which is significant given the historical challenges in determining its exact value. The researchers were not initially focused on pi; instead, they aimed to understand how strings, the fundamental components of the universe in string theory, interact. Their new formula generalizes an earlier series discovered by the Indian scholar Madhava, which approximates pi through an infinite series. Saha and Sinha's formula allows for faster calculations of pi, requiring fewer terms than Madhava's method to achieve a high degree of accuracy. Notably, their discovery also relates to the zeta function, a key element in the Riemann conjecture, a major unsolved problem in mathematics. Although the physicists did not set out to find a formula for pi, their work has opened new avenues for mathematical exploration and understanding of fundamental physics.

- Physicists discovered new formulas for pi while researching string theory.

- Their findings yield infinitely many equations for calculating pi.

- The new formula allows for faster calculations compared to historical methods.

- The discovery also relates to the zeta function and the Riemann conjecture.

- The work highlights the intersection of physics and mathematics in unexpected ways.