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Add math.tau #56554
Description
Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.
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GitHub fields:
assignee = 'https://github.com/gvanrossum'
closed_at = <Date 2016-08-15.16:16:35.929>
created_at = <Date 2011-06-16.03:10:29.721>
labels = ['easy', 'type-feature']
title = 'Add math.tau'
updated_at = <Date 2018-10-08.22:18:18.242>
user = 'https://github.com/ncoghlan'bugs.python.org fields:
activity = <Date 2018-10-08.22:18:18.242>
actor = 'danishprakash'
assignee = 'gvanrossum'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2016-08-15.16:16:35.929>
closer = 'gvanrossum'
components = []
creation = <Date 2011-06-16.03:10:29.721>
creator = 'ncoghlan'
dependencies = []
files = ['44063', '44065', '44080', '44111']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 12345
keywords = ['patch', 'easy']
message_count = 63.0
messages = ['138412', '138414', '138416', '138419', '138421', '138422', '138423', '138431', '138548', '138551', '138553', '139338', '183004', '183198', '272287', '272299', '272301', '272304', '272319', '272325', '272373', '272374', '272375', '272376', '272377', '272422', '272457', '272465', '272467', '272469', '272470', '272472', '272473', '272476', '272478', '272483', '272484', '272485', '272487', '272493', '272505', '272507', '272509', '272533', '272555', '272561', '272566', '272592', '272598', '272601', '272617', '272618', '272627', '272671', '272679', '272682', '272714', '272770', '272775', '272777', '272802', '313664', '313668']
nosy_count = 20.0
nosy_names = ['tim.peters', 'georg.brandl', 'rhettinger', 'pfalcon', 'mark.dickinson', 'ncoghlan', 'belopolsky', 'vstinner', 'benjamin.peterson', 'stutzbach', 'eric.araujo', 'Aaron.Meurer', 'python-dev', 'serhiy.storchaka', 'waldir', 'xcombelle', 'veky', 'Nofar Schnider', 'lisroach', 'Decorater']
pr_nums = ['9755']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'commit review'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue12345'
versions = ['Python 3.6']
Activity
ncoghlan commentedon Jun 16, 2011
I'd like to add a new constant to the math module:
Rather than repeating all the reasons for why tau makes more sense than pi as the fundamental circle constant, I'll just refer interested readers to http://tauday.com/
benjaminp commentedon Jun 16, 2011
Perhaps we should wait until \tau gains popularity larger than some impassioned physicist. \tau has been used to represent the golden ratio longer.
rhettinger commentedon Jun 16, 2011
-1
ncoghlan commentedon Jun 16, 2011
The golden ratio is more commonly denoted with phi (although tau does get used sometimes).
Popularity isn't the point though, it's the fact that tau *makes geometric sense* in ways that 2*pi doesn't.
vstinner commentedon Jun 16, 2011
I like this issue number, but I don't think that Python needs this new constant: it's trivial to add it to your own project. We have pi and e, it's enough. If we begin to add a new constant, others will ask to add much more constants, and there are million of other constants (useful or not). You may want to create a library of some other common constants. You can use float.fromhex() to have a good accuracy.
pitrou commentedon Jun 16, 2011
Nick, you just have to write: tau = 2 * math.pi
and you're done.
Actually, I've heard there are an infinity of them.
vstinner commentedon Jun 16, 2011
Can you prove that?
benjaminp commentedon Jun 16, 2011
2011/6/16 STINNER Victor <[email protected]>:
Don't have to. Axiom of infinity. :)
stutzbach commentedon Jun 17, 2011
On Wed, Jun 15, 2011 at 8:10 PM, Nick Coghlan <[email protected]>wrote:
(The following is best if read aloud using your best pirate impression)
I'd rather name the new constant "matey". Then we have:
The circumference of a circle is: r matey
The area of a circle is: one-quarter r r matey
etc.
mdickinson commentedon Jun 17, 2011
Not to mention d(area of circle of radius r) = r dr matey.
birkenfeld commentedon Jun 17, 2011
And I thought putting "dx" directly next to the integral sign was audacious...
gvanrossum commentedon Jun 27, 2011
Uh, not until I've seen a lot more evidence that people are habitually writing "TAU = 2 * math.pi" in their programs...
40 remaining items
vedgar commentedon Aug 13, 2016
As an Easter egg, of course. I'm all for it. But please take a look at https://docs.python.org/3.5/search.html?q=antigravity&check_keywords=yes&area=default
AraHaan commentedon Aug 13, 2016
not to mention I like to use the following expression myself.
pitrou commentedon Aug 14, 2016
Unsubscribing from this ridiculous issue. Guido, do your thing.
yan12125 commentedon Aug 14, 2016
The documentation of tau should mention it's equal to 2 * pi.
vstinner commentedon Aug 14, 2016
Chi Hsuan Yen added the comment:
According to this discussion, tau is very important. Maybe it's better to
document pi as tau/2? :-)
yan12125 commentedon Aug 14, 2016
From http://tauday.com/
For me it's a sign that pi is (currently) more common than tau. One purpose of the documentation is helping newcomers understand what Python's built-in objects mean. "tau = 2 * pi" is better than "pi = tau / 2" as those who know pi only are more than those who know tau only.
lisroach commentedon Aug 15, 2016
I have added some more detail to the Tau documentation, including that Tau is 2 * pi, as well as some links to Tau Day and Vi Hart's video.
That should give Python users enough to get started forming their own opinions on tau vs pi :)
gvanrossum commentedon Aug 15, 2016
Lisa, this LGTM. I'll commit it so we can put this behind us!
python-dev commentedon Aug 15, 2016
New changeset 68f2d6098be1 by Guido van Rossum in branch 'default':
Issue bpo-12345: Add mathemathcal constant tau to math and cmath.
https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/68f2d6098be1
abalkin commentedon Aug 15, 2016
There is a typo in the NEWS entry:
"Issue bpo-12345: Add *mathemathcal* constant tau to math ..."
gvanrossum commentedon Aug 15, 2016
Thanks, fixed.
mdickinson commentedon Mar 12, 2018
Why does this issue keep ending up as the target of unrelated PR notifications?
serhiy-storchaka commentedon Mar 12, 2018
Because of its lucky number. See python/core-workflow#223 (fixed).