Why did the first person even ask what it was?
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Ever heard of a surveyor’s wheel? This is a tool that’s been used for thousands of years. The simplest version consists of just a wheel with a mark on one side. The circumference of the wheel is a certain distance, such as a meter or a foot or whatever you like, so long as everyone agrees what that distance is. As the wheel rolls, the mark on the side rotates with it and the crew count how many times it did so. A much more elegant method than using a ruler when dealing with long distances.
In order to properly manufacture them, it’s important to know the ratio of the diameter to the circumference. Early engineers noticed this ratio and recorded it. What’s weird is that, over the centuries, this same number started showing up in other places and mathematicians were and sometimes still are stumped as to why it’s there. It seems to be fundamental to the universe itself and it’s a bit of a mystery as to why.
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