Pi day, celebrated annually on March 14 (3.14 – a reference to the famous mathematical constant), is more than an ingenious mention of the most popular mathematics figures.
It is also an opportunity for mathematics enthusiasts from all over the world to demonstrate their skills-and this year, a 10-year-old master has set a new world record for the largest number of Pi recited in a minute: 280. The information was published by the Guinness Book.
Alberto Davila Aragon, from Bristol, the United Kingdom, told what he was able to try to break the record:
“In March 2024, my school organized a fun competition for memorizing the figures in the number of PI, with a surprising prize: the possibility to throw a cake in front of the director. Determined to win, I went home and promised that I would remember as many figures of Pi. It was an incredible experience and I am grateful to our director because he created such a fun challenge, which motivated me to test my memory skills. “
This was just the first stage of Alberto’s road to a world record. Inspired by the initial success, he continued to train, learning more figures from PI and improving his speed, until he felt ready to try to beat the world record.
When that moment came, his parents helped him organize the event. They contacted the University of Bristol to find a mathematician, local sports clubs for experienced chronometers and a professional witness.
“Then I searched for a symbolic place for this record, which means something for me, – explained Alberto. – From the Clifton observer, the famous suspended bridge is wonderful – I cross it daily on the way to school. I like the school, and I am a great student – just a little talk, as my teachers say!”
For the test, Alberto was tied to the eyes, and the whistle gave the start and stop signal.
Being passionate about music and sang, Alberto used rhythms and patterns that helped him memorize the numbers, as well as breathing patterns to optimize his recitation speed.
Proud of his achievement, Alberto wants to inspire others to develop his potential:
“I hope my story to inspire others to perfect their memory skills. Who knows, maybe they will be fortunate to have a school director with a sense of humor and will receive the chance to throw a cake in front of someone.”
