Pi: a source book (Q4933758)

For a review of the first ed. see Zbl 0876.11001. From the preface: In addition to correcting a few minor infelicities, we have taken the opportunity to add an Appendix in which articles 9 and 12 by Viète and Huygens respectively are translated into English. While modern European languages are accessible to our full community -- at least through colleagues -- this is no longer true of Latin. Thus, following the suggestions of a reviewer of the first edition we have opted to provide a serviceable if fairly literal translation of three extended Latin excerpts. And in particular to make Viète's opinions and style known to a broader community. We also record that in the last two years distributed computations have been made of the binary digits of \(\pi\) using an enhancement due to Fabrice Bellard of the identity made in article 70. In particular the binary digits of \(\pi\) starting at the 40 trillionth place are \textbf{0} 0000 1111 1001 1111. Details of such ongoing computations, led by Colin Percival, are to be found at www.cecm.sfu.ca/projects/pihex. Corresponding details of a billion \((2^{30})\) digit computation on a single Pentium II PC, by Dominique Delande using Carey Bloodworth's desktop \(\pi\) program and taking under nine days, are lodged at www.cecm.sfu.ca/personal/jborwein/pi\(_-\)cover.html. Here also are details of the computation of \(2^{36}\) digits by Kanada et al. in April 1999.