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| date      = April 25, 2012
 
| date      = April 25, 2012
 
| title    = Approximations
 
| title    = Approximations
| before    = [[#Explanation|↓ Skip to explanation ↓]]
 
 
| image    = approximations.png
 
| image    = approximations.png
 
| titletext = Two tips: 1) 8675309 is not just prime, it's a twin prime, and 2) if you ever find yourself raising log(anything)^e or taking the pi-th root of anything, set down the marker and back away from the whiteboard; something has gone horribly wrong.
 
| titletext = Two tips: 1) 8675309 is not just prime, it's a twin prime, and 2) if you ever find yourself raising log(anything)^e or taking the pi-th root of anything, set down the marker and back away from the whiteboard; something has gone horribly wrong.
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
 
 
This comic lists some approximations for numbers, most of them mathematical and physical constants, but some of them jokes and cultural references.
 
This comic lists some approximations for numbers, most of them mathematical and physical constants, but some of them jokes and cultural references.
  
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Randall says he compiled this table through "a mix of trial-and-error, ''{{w|Mathematica}}'', and Robert Munafo's [http://mrob.com/pub/ries/ Ries] tool."  "Ries" is a "{{w|Closed-form expression#Conversion from numerical forms|reverse calculator}}" that forms equations matching a given number.
 
Randall says he compiled this table through "a mix of trial-and-error, ''{{w|Mathematica}}'', and Robert Munafo's [http://mrob.com/pub/ries/ Ries] tool."  "Ries" is a "{{w|Closed-form expression#Conversion from numerical forms|reverse calculator}}" that forms equations matching a given number.
  
The {{w|world population}} estimate for 2023 is still accurate. The estimate is 7.9 billion, and the population listed at the website census.gov is roughly the same. The current value can be found here: [https://www.census.gov/popclock/ United States Census Bureau - U.S. and World Population Clock]. Nevertheless there are other numbers listed by different sources.
+
The {{w|world population}} estimate for 2017 is still accurate. The estimate is 7.4 billion, and the population listed at the website census.gov is roughly the same. The current value can be found here: [https://www.census.gov/popclock/ United States Census Bureau - U.S. and World Population Clock]. Nevertheless there are other numbers listed by different sources.
  
 
The first part of the title text notes that "Jenny's constant," which is actually a telephone number referenced in Tommy Tutone's 1982 song {{w|867-5309/Jenny}}, is not only prime but a {{w|twin prime}} because 8675311 is also a prime. Twin primes have always been a subject of interest, because they are comparatively rare, and because it is not yet known whether there are infinitely many of them.  Twin primes were also referenced in [[1310: Goldbach Conjectures]].  
 
The first part of the title text notes that "Jenny's constant," which is actually a telephone number referenced in Tommy Tutone's 1982 song {{w|867-5309/Jenny}}, is not only prime but a {{w|twin prime}} because 8675311 is also a prime. Twin primes have always been a subject of interest, because they are comparatively rare, and because it is not yet known whether there are infinitely many of them.  Twin primes were also referenced in [[1310: Goldbach Conjectures]].  
  
The second part of the title text makes fun of the unusual mathematical operations contained in the comic.  {{w|Pi|π}} is a useful number in many contexts, but it doesn't usually occur anywhere in an exponent. Even when it does, such as with complex numbers, taking the πth root is rarely helpful.  A rare exception is an [http://gosper.org/4%5E1%C3%B7%CF%80.png identity] for the pi-th root of 4 discovered by Bill Gosper.  Similarly, {{w|e (mathematical constant)|e}} typically appears in the base of a power (forming the {{w|exponential function}}), not in the exponent. (This is later referenced in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/73/ Lethal Neutrinos]).
+
The second part of the title text makes fun of the unusual mathematical operations contained in the comic.  {{w|Pi|π}} is a useful number in many contexts, but it doesn't usually occur anywhere in an exponent. Even when it does, such as with complex numbers, taking the πth root is rarely helpful.  Similarly, {{w|e (mathematical constant)|e}} typically appears in the basis of a power (forming the {{w|exponential function}}), not in the exponent. (This is later referenced in [http://what-if.xkcd.com/73/ Lethal Neutrinos]).
 
 
===Equations===
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
!align="center"|Thing to be approximated:
+
|align="center"|Thing to be approximated:
!align="center"|Formula proposed
+
|align="center"|Formula proposed
!align="center"|Resulting approximate value
+
|align="center"|Resulting approximate value
!align="center"|Correct value
+
|align="center"|Correct value
!align="center"|Discussion
+
|align="center"|Discussion
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|One {{w|light year}} (meters)
 
|align="center"|One {{w|light year}} (meters)
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|align="center"|9,227,446,944,279,201
 
|align="center"|9,227,446,944,279,201
 
|align="center"|9,460,730,472,580,800 (exact)
 
|align="center"|9,460,730,472,580,800 (exact)
|align="left"|Based on 365.25 days per year (see below). 99<sup>8</sup> and 69<sup>8</sup> are [[487: Numerical Sex Positions|sexual references]].  
+
|align="left"|Based on 365.25 days per year (see below). 99<sup>8</sup> and 69<sup>8</sup> are sexual references.  
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Earth's surface (m<sup>2</sup>)
 
|align="center"|Earth's surface (m<sup>2</sup>)
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|align="center"|513,798,374,428,641
 
|align="center"|513,798,374,428,641
 
|align="center"|5.10072 × 10<sup>14</sup>
 
|align="center"|5.10072 × 10<sup>14</sup>
|align="left"|99<sup>8</sup> and 69<sup>8</sup> are [[487: Numerical Sex Positions|sexual references]].
+
|align="left"|99<sup>8</sup> and 69<sup>8</sup> are sexual references.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Oceans' volume (m<sup>3</sup>)
 
|align="center"|Oceans' volume (m<sup>3</sup>)
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|align="center"|31,536,000
 
|align="center"|31,536,000
 
|align="center"|31,557,600 (Julian calendar), 31,556,952 (Gregorian calendar)
 
|align="center"|31,557,600 (Julian calendar), 31,556,952 (Gregorian calendar)
|align="left"|"''Rent'' Method" refers to the song "{{w|Seasons of Love}}" from the musical ''{{w|Rent (musical)|Rent}}''. The song asks, "How do you measure a year?" One line says "525,600 minutes" while most of the rest of the song suggests the best way to measure a year is moments shared with a loved one. This method for remembering how many seconds are in a year was also referenced in [https://what-if.xkcd.com/23/ What If? 23].
+
|align="left"|"''Rent'' Method" refers to the song "{{w|Seasons of Love}}" from the musical ''{{w|Rent (musical)|Rent}}''. The song asks, "How do you measure a year?" One line says "525,600 minutes" while most of the rest of the song suggests the best way to measure a year is moments shared with a loved one.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Age of the universe (seconds)
 
|align="center"|Age of the universe (seconds)
 
|align="center"|15<sup>15</sup>
 
|align="center"|15<sup>15</sup>
 
|align="center"|437,893,890,380,859,375
 
|align="center"|437,893,890,380,859,375
|align="center"|(4.354 ± 0.012) × 10<sup>17</sup> (best estimate; exact value unknown)
+
|align="center"|4.354 ± 0.012 × 10<sup>17</sup> (best estimate; exact value unknown)
 
|align="left"|This one will slowly get more accurate as the universe ages.
 
|align="left"|This one will slowly get more accurate as the universe ages.
 
|-
 
|-
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|align="center"|0.00<span style="text-decoration: overline;">714285</span>
 
|align="center"|0.00<span style="text-decoration: overline;">714285</span>
 
|align="center"|0.0072973525664 (accepted value as of 2014), close to 1/137
 
|align="center"|0.0072973525664 (accepted value as of 2014), close to 1/137
|align="left"|The {{w|fine structure constant}} indicates the strength of electromagnetism. It is unitless and around 0.007297, close to 1/137. The joke here is that Randall chose to write 140 as the denominator, when 137 is much closer to reality and just as many digits (although 137 is a less "round" number than 140, and Randall writes in the table that he's "had enough" of it).  At one point the fine structure constant was believed to be exactly the reciprocal of 137, and many people have tried to find a simple formula explaining this (with a pinch of {{w|numerology}} thrown in at times), including the infamous {{w|Arthur Eddington|Sir Arthur "Adding-One" Eddington}} who argued very strenuously that the fine structure constant "should" be 1/136 when that was what the best measurements suggested, and then argued just as strenuously for 1/137 a few years later as measurements improved.
+
|align="left"|The {{w|fine structure constant}} indicates the strength of electromagnetism. It is unitless and around 0.007297, close to 1/137. At one point it was believed to be exactly the reciprocal of 137, and many people have tried to find a simple formula explaining this (with a pinch of {{w|numerology}} thrown in at times), including the infamous {{w|Arthur Eddington|Sir Arthur Adding-One}}.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Fundamental charge
 
|align="center"|Fundamental charge
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|align="center"|Telephone number for the {{w|White House}} switchboard
 
|align="center"|Telephone number for the {{w|White House}} switchboard
 
|align="center"|<math>\frac {1} {e^ {\sqrt[\pi] {1 + \sqrt[e-1] 8}} }</math>
 
|align="center"|<math>\frac {1} {e^ {\sqrt[\pi] {1 + \sqrt[e-1] 8}} }</math>
|align="center"|0.2024561414932
+
|align="center"|0.2024561414
 
|align="center"|202-456-1414
 
|align="center"|202-456-1414
 
|align="left"|
 
|align="left"|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Jenny's constant
 
|align="center"|Jenny's constant
|align="center"|<math>\left( 7^ {\frac{e}{1} - \frac{1}{e}} - 9 \right) \pi^2</math>
+
|align="center"|<math>\left( 7^ {\frac{e}{1} - \frac{1}{e}} - 9 \right) \times \pi^2</math>
 
|align="center"|867.5309019
 
|align="center"|867.5309019
 
|align="center"|867-5309
 
|align="center"|867-5309
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2030 — 8.4<br>
 
2030 — 8.4<br>
 
2031 — 8.5<br>
 
2031 — 8.5<br>
2032 — 8.5<br>
 
2033 — 8.6<br>
 
2034 — 8.7<br>
 
2035 — 8.8<br>
 
 
|align="center"|
 
|align="center"|
|align="left"|Grows by 75 million every year on average. As of 2023, a bit too small.
+
|align="left"|Grows by 75 million every year on average.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|U.S. population estimate (millions)
 
|align="center"|U.S. population estimate (millions)
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2030 — 370<br>
 
2030 — 370<br>
 
2031 — 373<br>
 
2031 — 373<br>
2032 — 376<br>
+
2032 — 376
2033 — 379<br>
 
2034 — 382<br>
 
2035 — 385<br>
 
 
|align="center"|
 
|align="center"|
|align="left"|Grows by 3 million each year. As of 2021 the actual number is ~13 million smaller.
+
|align="left"|Grows by 3 million each year.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Electron rest energy (joules)
 
|align="center"|Electron rest energy (joules)
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|align="left"|{{w|42 (number)|42}} is, according to {{w|Douglas Adams}}' ''{{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}'', the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
 
|align="left"|{{w|42 (number)|42}} is, according to {{w|Douglas Adams}}' ''{{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}'', the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
 
|-
 
|-
|align="center"|<math>\sin\left(60^\circ\right) = \frac {\sqrt 3} {2}</math>
+
|align="center"|<math>sin(60^\circ) = \frac {\sqrt 3} {2}</math>
 
|align="center"|<math>\frac{e}{\pi}</math>
 
|align="center"|<math>\frac{e}{\pi}</math>
 
|align="center"|0.8652559794
 
|align="center"|0.8652559794
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|align="center"|6.02191201246329 × 10<sup>23</sup>
 
|align="center"|6.02191201246329 × 10<sup>23</sup>
 
|align="center"|6.02214129 × 10<sup>23</sup>
 
|align="center"|6.02214129 × 10<sup>23</sup>
|align="left"|Also called a mole for shorthand, {{w|Avogadro's number}} is (roughly) the number of individual atoms in 12 grams of pure carbon. Used in basically every application of chemistry. In 2019 the constant was redefined to 6.02214076 × 10<sup>23</sup>, making the Approximation slightly more correct.
+
|align="left"|Also called a mole for shorthand, {{w|Avogadro's number}} is (roughly) the number of individual atoms in 12 grams of pure carbon. Used in basically every application of chemistry.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Gravitational constant ''G''
 
|align="center"|Gravitational constant ''G''
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|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Proton–electron mass ratio
 
|align="center"|Proton–electron mass ratio
|align="center"|<math>6 \pi^5</math>
+
|align="center"|<math>6 \times \pi^5</math>
 
|align="center"|1836.1181087117
 
|align="center"|1836.1181087117
 
|align="center"|1836.15267246
 
|align="center"|1836.15267246
|align="left"| The {{w|proton-to-electron mass ratio}} is the ratio between the rest mass of the proton divided by the rest mass of the electron.
+
|align="left"|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Liters in a {{w|gallon}}
 
|align="center"|Liters in a {{w|gallon}}
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|align="center"|3.7853981634
 
|align="center"|3.7853981634
 
|align="center"|3.785411784 (exact)
 
|align="center"|3.785411784 (exact)
|align="left"|A U.S. liquid gallon is defined by law as 231 cubic inches. The British imperial gallon would be about 20% larger (but the litre is the same thing as the US liter).
+
|align="left"|A U.S. liquid gallon is defined by law as 231 cubic inches
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|''g''<sub>0</sub> or ''g''<sub>n</sub>
 
|align="center"|''g''<sub>0</sub> or ''g''<sub>n</sub>
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|align="center"|<math>\frac{1}{1200^2}</math>
 
|align="center"|<math>\frac{1}{1200^2}</math>
 
|align="center"|6.9<span style="text-decoration: overline;">444</span> × 10<sup>−7</sup>
 
|align="center"|6.9<span style="text-decoration: overline;">444</span> × 10<sup>−7</sup>
|align="center"|~6.943 × 10<sup>−7</sup>
+
|align="center"|~6.943
 
|align="left"|The {{w|ruby laser}} wavelength varies because "ruby" is not clearly defined.
 
|align="left"|The {{w|ruby laser}} wavelength varies because "ruby" is not clearly defined.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Mean Earth radius (meters)
 
|align="center"|Mean Earth radius (meters)
|align="center"|<math>5^8 6e</math>
+
|align="center"|<math>5^8 \times 6e</math>
 
|align="center"|6,370,973.035
 
|align="center"|6,370,973.035
 
|align="center"|6,371,008.7 (IUGG definition)
 
|align="center"|6,371,008.7 (IUGG definition)
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:<math>\cos \frac{\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{3\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{5\pi}{7}</math>
 
:<math>\cos \frac{\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{3\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{5\pi}{7}</math>
  
Multiplying by 1 (or by a nonzero number divided by itself) leaves the equation unchanged:  
+
Multiplying by 1 (or by a number divided by itself) leaves the equation unchanged:  
  
 
:<math>= \left( \cos \frac{\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{3\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{5\pi}{7} \right) \frac{2 \sin\frac{\pi}{7}}{2 \sin\frac{\pi}{7}}</math>
 
:<math>= \left( \cos \frac{\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{3\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{5\pi}{7} \right) \frac{2 \sin\frac{\pi}{7}}{2 \sin\frac{\pi}{7}}</math>
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&= \frac12 \quad \quad \quad \text{Q.E.D.}
 
&= \frac12 \quad \quad \quad \text{Q.E.D.}
 
\end{align}</math>
 
\end{align}</math>
 
To better see why the equation is true, it is better to go to the complex plane. cos(2k pi/7) <!--<math>\textstyle{ \cos \frac{2k\pi}{7} }</math>--> is the real part of the k-th 7-th root of unity, exp(2 k i pi/7)<!--<math>\textstyle{ \exp \frac{2 k i\pi}{7} }</math>-->. The seven 7-th roots of unity (for 0 <= k <= 6) sum up to zero, hence so do their real parts:
 
 
<!--:<math>0 = \cos \frac{0\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{2\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{4\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{6\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{8\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{10\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{12\pi}{7} </math>-->
 
:0 = cos(0 pi/7) + cos(2 pi/7) + cos(4 pi/7) + cos(6 pi/7) + cos(8 pi/7) + cos(10 pi/7) + cos(12 pi/7)
 
 
But one of these roots is just 1, and all other root go by pairs of conjugate roots, which have the same real part (alternatively, consider that cos(x) = cos(2 pi - x)):
 
 
<!--:<math>0 = 1 + 2 ( \cos \frac{2\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{4\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{6\pi}{7} ) </math>-->
 
:0 = 1 + 2 (cos(2 pi/7) + cos(4 pi/7) + cos(6 pi/7))
 
 
Hence
 
 
<!--:<math>\cos \frac{2\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{4\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{6\pi}{7} = - 1/2 </math>-->
 
:cos(2 pi/7) + cos(4 pi/7) + cos(6 pi/7) = - 1/2
 
 
which, because cos(x) = cos(pi - x),<!--<math>\cos (x) = - \cos(\pi - x)</math>,--> can be rewritten as
 
 
<!--:<math>\cos \frac{5\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{3\pi}{7} + \cos \frac{pi}{7} = 1/2 </math>-->
 
:cos(5 pi/7) + cos(3 pi/7) + cos(pi/7) = 1/2
 
 
Q.E.D.
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|White House Switchboard
 
|align="center"|White House Switchboard
|colspan="2" align="center"|1 / (e<sup><sup>π</sup>√(1 + <sup>(e-1)</sup>√8)</sup>)
+
|colspan="2" align="center"|1/<br />
 +
<sup>π</sup>√(e<sup>(1 + <sup>(e-1)</sup>√8)</sup>)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|Jenny's Constant
 
|align="center"|Jenny's Constant

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