Two years ago in 2020 (before the pandemic!), I wrote about the computation of $\pi$ in Stairway Constants. At the time, the most digits of $\pi$ that anyone had computed was $50$ trillion, set by Timothy Mullican earlier that year. Even using what was essentially a personal data center, it took about ten months of full-time computation to get the job done. However, the amazing feat came with a disappointment: the previous record held by Emma Haruka Iwao of $\floor{\pi \times 10^{13}} = 31{,}415{,}926{,}535{,}897$ digits was replaced by a less exciting number.

We can rejoice now, because there is a new adorable record in town! Last August, a team at the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland finished computing $\pi$ to $\floor{\tau \times 10^{13}} = 62{,}831{,}853{,}071{,}796$ digits. This Monday marks the first Pi Day since.

While this is a new adorable record, purists might note the use of $\tau$ here. If that bothers you, you are welcome to build your own supercomputer to try replacing it with any of these next records:

• The “Is that a group theory reference?”: $64{,}561{,}751{,}654{,}400$¹
• The Very Loud: $\floor{\pi! \times 10^{13}} = \floor{\Gamma(\pi+1) \times 10^{13}} = 71{,}880{,}827{,}289{,}760$
• The Hyperinflation: $\floor{\pi^{28}} = 83{,}214{,}007{,}069{,}229$
• The Pie: $\floor{\pi e \times 10^{13}} = 85{,}973{,}422{,}267{,}356$
• The Compromise: $\floor{3 \pi \times 10^{13}} = 94{,}247{,}779{,}607{,}693$
• The Feynman: $9.99999 \times 10^{13} = 99{,}999{,}900{,}000{,}000$
• The Immeasurable Disappointment: $100$ trillion
• The Overachiever: $\floor{\pi^{\pi^\pi}} = 1{,}340{,}164{,}183{,}006{,}357{,}435$

Let me know when you finish, I look forward to writing about it in mathNEWS 157.5.

Exercise: celebrate Pi Day by throwing a pie at your local $\tau$ supporter!