Aryabhata estimated pi to four decimal places.

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In his seminal astronomical treatise Aryabhatiya written in 499 CE at age 23, ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata computed the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter (pi, π) as 62,832 / 20,000, giving approximately 3.1416. Crucially, Aryabhata used the Sanskrit term asanna (‘approaching’ or ‘approximate’), demonstrating clear awareness that the value of π is irrational.

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