Help Calculating Pi using Arctangent formula

In summary, the conversation discusses using the Arctangent formula to calculate the value of pi to 53 significant digits. The power series of arctangent(x) is discussed, and a link to a Maple calculation is provided. However, the displayed answer is incorrect and it is suggested to use the remainder theorem for Taylor expansions to determine the necessary number of terms for an accurate calculation.
  • #1
PolyFX
31
0

Homework Statement


Using the Arctangent formula
pi = 16 * arctan (1 / 5) - 4*arctan(1 / 239) to calculate the value of pi to 53 significant digits.

Homework Equations



The power series of arctangent(x) is = x − x^3/3 + x^5/5 − x^7/7 + x^9/9...

The Attempt at a Solution



http://tinypic.com/r/fy1tax/5

fy1tax.jpg


I attempted this question on MAPLE 13(shown above), but I get an obvious incorrect answer 3.17... instead of 3.14...

Am i using the formula correctly? I've double checked the values and don't think I missed an exponent or inserted the wrong sign.

-Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #2
I'm not familiar with Maple, so I can't tell you what it's doing. However, using the same methid in Mathematica, I get 3.14... as expected, so I assume there is something odd about the way you've told Maple to calculate it...perhaps enclosing everything after "evalf" in a pair of brackets might change things?

In any case, I'm not sure you need terms all the way up to [itex]x^{51}[/itex] to get an accuracy of 53 decimal places. Use the remainder theorem for Taylor expansions to figure out how many terms you actually need.
 

Related to Help Calculating Pi using Arctangent formula

1. What is the Arctangent formula for calculating Pi?

The Arctangent formula, also known as the Leibniz formula, is a mathematical formula used to approximate the value of Pi. It is given by the series:
π/4 = 1 - 1/3 + 1/5 - 1/7 + 1/9 - 1/11 + ...

2. How does the Arctangent formula work?

The Arctangent formula uses the Taylor series expansion of the arctangent function to approximate the value of Pi. The series alternates between positive and negative terms, getting closer to the actual value of Pi with each additional term.

3. What is the benefit of using the Arctangent formula to calculate Pi?

The Arctangent formula allows for a simple and efficient way to approximate the value of Pi without using complex mathematical methods. It also has a fast convergence rate, meaning it can reach a more accurate result with fewer terms in the series.

4. What are the limitations of the Arctangent formula for calculating Pi?

Despite its advantages, the Arctangent formula is only an approximation and therefore cannot give an exact value for Pi. It also has a limited range of convergence, meaning it may not work well for extremely large or small values of Pi.

5. Can the Arctangent formula be used to calculate Pi to any desired accuracy?

Yes, the accuracy of the Arctangent formula can be improved by adding more terms to the series. The more terms added, the closer the approximation will be to the actual value of Pi. However, this also increases the complexity and computation time required.

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