Pi vs Tau

[Jordyn Preusker]

This is a pretty big mathematical debate at the moment.

So basically the debate is that tau, or the mathematical representation of the circumference of a circle divided by the radius. (pi is circumference divided by diameter.) Or, basically, tau= 2(pi)

Now I have looked at many many examples of equations that are improved, either in simplicity or in comprehension, by the use of tau. 

I happened to write an article for our school newspaper on it (link down there) and I feel strongly about this, but I would like to get some nerdfighter feedback on this. 

Mainly because when I look up debates anywhere else, I just get people saying that pi is better without any good reason. 

P.S. please do not talk about equations and such unless A, it is not mentioned here --> http://tauday.com/ or B you have a reason why that equation should be null and void as a reason for pro-tau.

My Newspaper article, if you're that curious. 

Pi is wrong- Vote Tau!http://prwolfprints.com/opinion/2012/10/05/pi-is-wrong-vote-tau/

[Hutch Hogan]

I prefer tau for the same reason that I say great white shark over Carcharodon carcharias. While the second one may be correct from a technical aspect, it isn't well understood by the common person. 

[Latch33570]

back in school I used 2 pi as part of my equations. I never heard of T. Really though I don't care one way or the other. By the way frequency is 1 over 2 pi "l" "c".

[Charles LaCour]

Neither Pi or Tau is wrong.  Pi is the ratio of a circles diameter to its circumference.  Tau is is the ratio of a circles radius to its circumference.  Each is a constant and either one works. 

[Josh Griffiths]

I may be wrong but for the sake of simplicity if you have the radius times by tau if you have the circumference time by pi and you always save un-needed math

[Brett Davis]

I would say neither is better than the other or 'wrong', because Tau would make many equations easier but there are, at least, several equations uses an odd amount of Pi in an equation. Some of these are in statistics while there are others in other fields of math. I say we should use both Tau and Pi.

here is a site with some of those equations: http://www.thepimanifesto.com/

[acegiak]

I'm pretty sure we use Pi is because you can use it easily in TWO formulas:

pi*2*r = circumfrence

(pi^2)*r = area/volume

If we used Tau the area would then become (r/2)*tau which is less... elegant?

[Latch33570]

How bored do we have to be to have this conversation.

[Alan Webb]

I'm personally in favour of using Tau instead of Pi mostly because it makes far more sense to refer to circles in terms of the radius than their diameter.

Anyway I say let Vi Hart convince you 

[Kevin Iga]

One issue that is not often mentioned: if you go in higher number of dimensions, pi is better than tau.

The volume of a sphere in n dimensions is

( pi^(n/2) / (n/2)! ) r^n

where we use the Gamma function to define the factorial of non-integers. ( so that (1/2)! = sqrt(pi)/2 and (3/2)!=3/2 * (1/2)! )

If we use tau, we would have to write (tau/2) instead of pi in this formula and then it's not as nice.

On the other hand tau is better for Fourier analysis.

[James Giammarco]

Before this discussion, I saw ViHart's videos which lead me to this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H69YH5TnNXI

I hadn't thought about it before but I do think I am becoming an tau person