Programming Pi

 BBS: Inland Empire Archive
Date: 05-06-92 (11:30)             Number: 196
From: RICHARD VANNOY               Refer#: 152
  To: ANDY KIDLE                    Recvd: NO  
Subj: Programming Pi                 Conf: (2) Quik_Bas

AK>pi = 4(1 - 1/3 + 1/5 - 1/7 + 1/9 - 1/11 +......)
AK>
AK>I'll have to write out the second one since their are no keys to
AK>represent exponents and square roots:

Sure there are.  AND they work in any BASIC program.

a * a = a^2
b * b * b = b^3
vc = c^.5

try this...
FOR i = 1 to 20
   PRINT i, i^2, i^3, i^.5, i^.33333
NEXT i

As a hint for your infinite series, notice the divisors go
3, 5, 7, 9...

subtotal# = 1
minusSign% = 1
FOR i# = 3 TO SomeBigNumber# STEP 2
   nextFraction# = 1 / i#
   IF minusSign% THEN nextFraction# = -nextFraction#
   subtotal# = subtotal# + nextFraction#
   minusSign% = 1 - minusSign%    'REVERSE the sign
NEXT i
pi# = 4 * subtotal#
PRINT "SEE!  It's as easy as";pi#

> MegaMail 2.1b #0:The time travel lecture will be held last Monday


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