Liu Hui's π algorithm

High school (ages 12+)
Mathematics & Numbers

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/liu-hui-s---algorithm

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Liu Hui's π algorithm known for?Development of an iterative algorithm for Pi calculation using polygon approximation
2. What is the mathematician?Liu Hui
3. What is the period of activity?Circa 3rd century CE
4. Who was Liu Hui?Liu Hui was a clever mathematician from ancient China who lived during the Cao Wei state. He worked on finding a better way to calculate Pi.
5. How did Liu Hui find Pi?He drew a circle and put a hexagon inside it, then kept doubling the number of sides to 96. With each new shape, he measured the perimeter, which got closer to the circle’s edge.

Iterative Algorithm: A computational procedure that repeats a sequence of operations to refine a solution.
Inscribed Polygon: A polygon whose vertices all lie on the circumference of a circle.
Numerical Analysis: The study of algorithms that use numerical approximation for the problems of mathematical analysis.