Indiana attempted to legislate a value for pi in 1897.

This quirky episode unfolded when the Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill #246, which aimed to establish a "new mathematical truth" for pi—effectively setting it at around 3.2 (or precisely "four-fourths times five," as phrased in the bill). The legislation wasn't a direct decree to redefine pi from 3.14159... but rather a bid to endorse a local amateur mathematician's flawed proof, offered royalty-free to Indiana schools.

The Backstory

Edwin J. Goodwin, an Indiana physician with a passion for math, claimed to have squared the circle—a famously impossible feat—and derived pi as 3.2 in the process. He lobbied Representative Taylor I. Record to introduce the bill, hoping state adoption would validate his work and bring prestige (and savings on textbooks). The House, misunderstanding the math, approved it on February 5, 1897, amid a sparse session with little scrutiny.

"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 free of cost by paying any royalties whatever on the same."

Professor C.A. Waldo from Purdue University happened to be in the capitol lobbying for university funding and alerted senators to the bill's errors, preventing a vote. The Senate indefinitely postponed it, averting a mathematical blunder.

Key Facts

  • Date : February 1897 (passed House anniversary often noted around Pi Day, March 14).
  • Proposed Value : Not explicitly "pi = 3.2," but Goodwin's method implied 16/5 = 3.2; myths exaggerated it as a direct law.
  • Outcome : Died in Senate; no law passed.
  • Modern Echoes : resurfaces in forums as a funny anecdote on legislative overreach, with Reddit threads tallying thousands of upvotes since 2011.

Myths vs. Reality

Aspect| Common Myth| Historical Truth 157
---|---|---
Direct Pi Law| "Indiana set pi = 3.2"| Bill endorsed a proof implying it; never stated outright.
Passage| "Almost became law"| House yes, Senate no—killed quietly.
Motive| Anti-math lawmakers| Goodwill gesture for free textbooks.
Pi Value| Always "3.2"| Goodwin's work varied (3.2, 4, etc.); 3.2 most cited.

Why It Endures

This tale highlights how good intentions and poor expertise can collide, trending anew on Pi Day (like 2025 articles). No other U.S. state tried similar; it's a singular, lighthearted legend.

TL;DR: Indiana's 1897 bill flopped thanks to a sharp-eyed professor—pi stayed irrational.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.