Memory Pi in Easy Steps! How to memorize pi
I’d like to have some fun with you and show how to memorize pi up to 400 or more decimals. It’s really fascinating!
To begin with, a background knowledge of memory work, “The Major System” regarding memorizing numbers is necessary, so I have included links to it in this article. Once you read and understand it you should have no trouble memorizing pi to the 400th decimal. This would be a really cool ability to have —especially at parties!
Obviously, the first question is, “What IS pi to 400 decimal places?” Here it is:
Pi=3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971
6939937510582097494459230781640628620899
8628034825342117067982148086513282306647
0938446095505822317253594081284811174502
8410270193852110555964462294895493038196
4428810975665933446128475648233786783165
2712019091456485669234603486104543266482
1339360726024914127372458700660631558817
4881520920962829254091715364367892590360
0113305305488204665213841469519415116094
There are all different ways to memorize pi. Some, like University of Edinburgh professor Alexander Craig Aitken, use a particular rhythm. The “pi purists” attempt to learn numbers as numbers themselves, refusing to use the mnemonic alphabet. An example would be the last four numbers in the first row (1971), they might recall this as the year they were born or other significant date.
But to be honest I don’t prefer tis method.
Instead I prefer to create pictures for numbers and store these pictures in a mind palace. Here is a basic way to turn numbers into images
But if you use the basic method for picture for numbers listed in the video above then you would need a LOT of pictures to memorize pi to 100 decimal places. For example, if you have an image for every single digit then you would need to memorize 1000 images.
Instead, I prefer the Major System method.
Using this if you have an image for every 3 digit number then you would only need 333 images (plus one).
The first images would then be:
314- meter
159 – tulip
265 – enchilada
535 – limelight
897 – half back
I realize you probably don’t know what I am talking about. ha
But if you want to understand the Major System in your effort to learn how to memorize pi then go to how to memorize numbers.
So, you want to know what advantages there are to learning to memorize this way? Well, anyone who is familiar with both the English language (as well as almost any Germanic language) and the mnemonic alphabet can learn it. Secondly, the digits can be learned both in order and out of order at the same time.
What do I mean by out of order? Well, imagine if you can not only knowing the 400 digits of pi, but also where they are positioned relative to each other!
