Is pi (math term) really an endless decimal?
Pi is one of a set of numbers called “irrational” numbers, which is a subset of the “real” numbers. Rational numbers are ones whose decimal expansion eventually terminates or repeats. A repeating decimal, like 1/3, is a rational number, and a terminating decimal, like 1/8, is also a rational number. Irrational numbers, like pi, e, and h, neither terminate nor repeat, but they are still real numbers. “Imaginary” numbers are numbers that are not expressible in terms of the real numbers. The canonical example is the square root of -1, known as i. Imaginary numbers are often expressed in terms of multiples of i. Imaginary numbers with a real component (such as 2i + 1) are known as “complex” numbers. I might have some of these details wrong, as I’m writing this off the top of my head. Corrections are welcome.
