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Calculating PI

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Started 4 months ago by LifeInAnEgg
Latest reply from ICARAX

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LifeInAnEgg
Member
Post Count: 64

I'm having slight problem.
I made a bet with my friend who could calculate PI the coolest way.
He uses the formula: pi= (4/1 - 4/3) + (4/5 - 4/7) + (4/9 + 4/11) etc. He doesn't know scripting btw.
I thought of a way cooler one.
I make a program in a 2x2 window(I will scale it eventually) and make a circle in it with r = 1, in the centre
Every calculation, I make a random x and y coordinate, (1.45 ; 0.854) for example. If it's inside the circle, I add 1 to var a. If it's outside the circle, I add 1 to var b. var c = a + b. Using Pythagoras I calculate the distance between the point and the centre, and if it's lower than 1, it's inside the circle. Now, there are two problems with thiso
1) The random numbers appear to not be fully random, and they have only 6 decimals or so. My brother said I might need to use prime numbers, but I don't know how to use them.
2) I have a max of 120fps, so 120 calculations per second.

Does anyone have a solution to any of my 2 problems?

Posted 4 months ago #
WJUK
The Lone Ranger
Post Count: 13501

Are you using flash? I don't think that's a good choice for something like this, frankly.

As for not fully random: No RNG are ever fully random. Most of them are based on the system clock time. It just depends on your actual function.

You should make your code more modular so calculation can be done without displaying on the screen. Displaying information (or simply outputting to a terminal) actually bottlenecks programs usually. If you really want visual information, you can just update ever second with the latest calculation (not sure why you'd want that though).

Finally, can you really calculate PI this way?

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Posted 4 months ago #

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LifeInAnEgg
Member
Post Count: 64

Yes, I can calculate it this way, have a look:
priemgetallen:
http://www.truploader.com/view/139988
Type a number in the box, and click the button. I still have to make some improvements on this one.

pi1:
http://www.truploader.com/view/735324
simple formula. Hold ENTER for pause

pi2:
http://www.truploader.com/view/005896
My fancy way. Hold ENTER for pause

Posted 4 months ago #

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ICARAX
Moderator
Post Count: 3086

Won't it stop though? I mean the calculating. Cuz pi is a never ending number...

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Posted 4 months ago #
LifeInAnEgg
Member
Post Count: 64

Of course it doesn't stop calculating.
That's why some computers calculated the 1,000,000,000st decimal of pi after 20 years or so.
Anyway, I was thinking of making some inprovements on the prime numbers one(it says priemgetallen, I know). First of all, it should start on the lowest numbers, not the right. Second, it should skip non-prime numbers. As you might know, every number is dividable a prime number. The problem of skipping the non-prime numbers is that there is a infinite number of prime numbers, so it's impossible to put them all in the program. Maybe it is possible to make an online array of non-prime numbers, and everytime you start the program, you download the latest version. Also, if you find a number that isn't found yet, it is put in the array, and sent back to the server. The problem is that I have no idea how I'm gonna do that. I also need to make some slight changes, like a stop button and making it a lot faster. Does anyone know anything about online features in as2?

Posted 4 months ago #
ICARAX
Moderator
Post Count: 3086

you may wonder why i made such a ridiculous post. I was in a noisy birthday party for a 9 year old. Yeah i know that it doesnt stop calculating. Its funny, my friend and i wrote the first thousand digits in our Advisory so we could take a picture to show to our Pre-calculus teacher.. immature huh? it was fun though. Yeah, the ACtionScript im no help to you though. sorry!

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Posted 4 months ago #
Pencilmaster
Member
Post Count: 1302

Uh, I HATE MATHS!

I always just say pi is 3.14.

RIP Edd Gould, you may be dead but your world will keep on spinning.

Posted 4 months ago #
LifeInAnEgg
Member
Post Count: 64

If you hate Maths and Physiscs and stuff, then why do you do flash?
I know without looking: 3.141592653
No but seriously, does anyone know anythin about external arrays?
I don't really want to read the entire as2 book (700 pages), although I kinda need to.

Posted 4 months ago #
WJUK
The Lone Ranger
Post Count: 13501

LifeInAnEgg said:
Yes, I can calculate it this way, have a look:
priemgetallen:
http://www.truploader.com/view/139988
Type a number in the box, and click the button. I still have to make some improvements on this one.

pi1:
http://www.truploader.com/view/735324
simple formula. Hold ENTER for pause

pi2:
http://www.truploader.com/view/005896
My fancy way. Hold ENTER for pause

I'm not quite sure what you're doing with the first one there, just working out primes? If you are, then I may have some code that will help you out. If you're trying to find a lot of primes, then the Sieve of Eratosthenes is what you want.

And I know you don't have much coding experience in anything else, but flash is definitely not suited for something like this. Performance-wise, I don't think flash can hope to measure up to other programming languages for something like this.

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Posted 4 months ago #
LifeInAnEgg
Member
Post Count: 64

I have considered the Sieve of E, but it needs a limit. You can't calculate infinite numbers.
I understand Flash is 't the best way, but I don't know another coding language.
In fact, I made a batch script, just for fun, to calculate pi. It worked, but it rounded the numbers, so I ended up with 3.
The best way I can think of is to make an iPhone app out of it, but I just don't wanna learn objective C, or whatever you use, and I think the apple developpers program is way to much of a hassle.
Btw, what I did with the first one was making two variables, input and number. When you press the button, the number you input is set to what you typed in. Then the number is set to Math.round(input/2+1). It then checks if input/(number-1) = Math.round(input/(number-1)). If true, the number is not a prime, and it is solved. If false, number -= 1 and it repeats the process, until number < 2, if it still isn't solved, the number os a prime, and it is solved. I'm working on a better way right now.
Sorry for my iphone typing skills being all over the place.

Posted 4 months ago #
LifeInAnEgg
Member
Post Count: 64

Sorry, I double posted.

Posted 4 months ago #
offtopic
Member
Post Count: 295

@WJUK: Your link is broken, remove the quotation mark at the end of it.

Posted 4 months ago #
AJ32
Member
Post Count: 1346

I know without looking: 3.141592653

I know without looking: 3.1415926535897932384626433

I also know without looking: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

EDN!
My two old buddies Mr. Lol and Mr. Roll ⇒ And I like them too ⇒
He is cool! ⇒

Posted 4 months ago #
LifeInAnEgg
Member
Post Count: 64

I know the official word for being afraid of giant hippos with big feet:
Hyppopotomonstrosesquippedaliofobias

Anyway, does anyone know anything about servers and onlinyness?
I'm spitting through this book: http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/main/flash_as2_learning.pdf
And I think chapter 15 might be helpful.

Posted 4 months ago #
WJUK
The Lone Ranger
Post Count: 13501
LifeInAnEgg said:
I have considered the Sieve of E, but it needs a limit. You can't calculate infinite numbers.
I understand Flash is 't the best way, but I don't know another coding language.
In fact, I made a batch script, just for fun, to calculate pi. It worked, but it rounded the numbers, so I ended up with 3.
The best way I can think of is to make an iPhone app out of it, but I just don't wanna learn objective C, or whatever you use, and I think the apple developpers program is way to much of a hassle.
Btw, what I did with the first one was making two variables, input and number. When you press the button, the number you input is set to what you typed in. Then the number is set to Math.round(input/2+1). It then checks if input/(number-1) = Math.round(input/(number-1)). If true, the number is not a prime, and it is solved. If false, number -= 1 and it repeats the process, until number < 2, if it still isn't solved, the number os a prime, and it is solved. I'm working on a better way right now.
Sorry for my iphone typing skills being all over the place.

I would suggest Python for another programming language to get into, as it's relatively simple and open-source (free!).

So, basically, you're just trying to work out whether a number is prime or not?
The easiest way I've found so far is:
```
f
```
Which is similar to what you are doing from what I can figure out from your paragraph of text. Although I'm searching from 2 to the sqrt(number)+1. Instead of (number/2)+1 to 2.

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Posted 4 months ago #
ICARAX
Moderator
Post Count: 3086

AJ32 said:
I know without looking: 3.1415926535897932384626433

I also know without looking: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

I know up to this without looking.

3.141592653589793238462643383279

My uncle knows the first 160, my friend knows the first 100. I know up to the first.. 32 Is it?

This signature requires LEVEL 4 CLEARANCE, which you OBVIOUSLY dont have. Have a nice day.
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Posted 4 months ago #

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