[mathprof]

Indiana once did better than Chuck Norris:

 

ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL  No. 246

     A Bill for an act introducing a new mathematical truth and offered
as a contribution to education to be used only by the State of Indiana

Section -2- It is impossible to compute the area of a circle on the diameter as the linear unit without trespassing upon the area outside of the circle to the extent of including one-fifth more area than is contained within the circle's circumference, because the square on the diameter produces the side of a square which equals nine when the arc of ninety degrees equals eight. By taking the quadrant of the circle's circumference for the linear unit, we fulfill the requirements of both quadrature and rectification of the circle's circumference. Furthermore, it has revealed the ratio of the chord and arc of ninety degrees, which is as seven to eight, and also the ratio of the diagonal and one side of a square which is as ten to seven, disclosing the fourth important fact, that the ratio of the diameter and circumference is as five-fourths to four; and because of these facts and the further fact that the rule in present use fails to work both ways mathematically, it should be discarded as wholly wanting and misleading in its practical applications.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

In Dava Sobel's book, "Longitude" there is a sentence, "One might as well try to make sense out of the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle."

This is an obvious editorial disfigurement of "One might as well try to rationalize pi." Why not "One might as well try to square the circle.", which means the same thing and will not confuse editors or other innumerates?

This is an example of why authors need to watch their editors very, very carefully.

[AmishDude]

For the record, that was intended as a stunt to show that the legislature would pass anything. The sponsor wasn't that ignorant.