`\pi` Day 2015 Art Posters

▲ 2021 `\pi` reminds us that good things grow for those who wait.' edition.

▲ 2019 `\pi` has hundreds of digits, hundreds of languages and a special kids' edition.

▲ 2018 `\pi` day stitches street maps into new destinations.

▲ 2017 `\pi` day imagines the sky in a new way.

▲ 2016 `\pi` approximation day wonders what would happen if about right was right.

▲ 2016 `\pi` day sees digits really fall for each other.

▲ 2015 `\pi` day maps transcendentally.

▲ 2014 `\pi` approx day spirals into roughness.

▲ 2014 `\pi` day hypnotizes you into looking.

▲ 2014 `\pi` day

▲ 2013 `\pi` day is where it started

▲ Circular `\pi` art and other distractions

On March 14th celebrate `\pi` Day. Hug `\pi`—find a way to do it.

For those who favour `\tau=2\pi` will have to postpone celebrations until July 26th. That's what you get for thinking that `\pi` is wrong. I sympathize with this position and have `\tau` day art too!

If you're not into details, you may opt to party on July 22nd, which is `\pi` approximation day (`\pi` ≈ 22/7). It's 20% more accurate that the official `\pi` day!

Finally, if you believe that `\pi = 3`, you should read why `\pi` is not equal to 3.

Most of the art is available for purchase as framed prints and, yes, even pillows. Sleep's never been more important — I take custom requests.

Not a circle in sight in the 2015 `\pi` day art. Try to figure out how up to 612,330 digits are encoded before reading about the method. `\pi`'s transcendental friends `\phi` and `e` are there too—golden and natural. Get it?

This year's `\pi` day is particularly special. The digits of time specify a precise time if the date is encoded in North American day-month-year convention: 3-14-15 9:26:53.

The art has been featured in Ana Swanson's Wonkblog article at the Washington Post—10 Stunning Images Show The Beauty Hidden in `\pi`.

This year's art has a modern Bauhaus style. Sharp edges, lines and solid colors. Potato farms from space. CPUs from up close. If the pieces look like the art of Piet Mondrian, you'd be right.

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▲ 3,628 digits of `\pi` in a 6 level treemap. Uniform line thickness. Bauhaus prime colors. (posters, BUY ARTWORK)

The digits of `pi` are encoded in something that looks like a treemap. I explain how this is done in the methods section, but before reading it, try to see if you can figure out how it's done.

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▲ 2,258 digits of `\phi`, 3,855 digits of `e` and 3,628 digits of `\pi` in 6 level treemaps. Uniform line thickness. Brewer palette sequential greys. (posters, BUY ARTWORK)

I briefly experimented with the 4-color theorem in trying to apply color to the treemap, but it turned out to lack interesting stucture. Well, at least some graphs were made.

I experimented with different treemap resolutions. For treemaps that use an outline around each rectangle, I decided to stop at 8 levels, at which 111,469 digits of `pi` can be encoded.

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▲ 3,628 digits of `\pi` in a 6 level treemap. Uniform line thickness. Bauhaus prime colors. (posters, BUY ARTWORK)

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▲ 20,244 digits of `\pi` in a 7 level treemap. Uniform line thickness. Bauhaus prime colors. (posters, BUY ARTWORK)

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▲ 111,469 digits of `\pi` in an 8 level treemap. Uniform line thickness, slightly thinner than for the 7-level map. Bauhaus prime colors. (posters, BUY ARTWORK)

I also made a level 9 treemap without the outlines, which encoded 612,330 digits. When rendered at 20,833 × 20,833 pixels (I needed the image in bitmap form to provide the posters for sale), some regions are essentially a pixel in size, as seen in the 1-1 crop below.

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▲ 612,330 digits of `\pi` in an 9 level treemap. Bauhaus prime colors. (posters, BUY ARTWORK)

▲ 1-1 crop of 612,330 digits of `\pi` in an 9 level treemap. Bauhaus prime colors. (posters)

Treemap art and history

If you enjoy treemaps, explore Ben Shneiderman's History of Treemaps and Treemap Art.