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SALEM, Va. - A high school student Tuesday recited 8,784 digits of pi — the non-repeating and non-terminating decimal — likely placing him among the top Pi-reciters in the world.

Gaurav Rajav, 15, had hoped to recite 10,790 digits and set a new record in the United States and North America. But he remembered enough to potentially place third in national and North American pi recitation and 12th in the world.

His ranking should be verified by the Pi World Ranking List within two months.

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Can any of you at PPT beat the record?

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"I'm kind of disappointed, but I guess I did OK," said Gaurav, a junior at Salem High School.

But his mathematical feat won the praise of others, including the math and computer science teacher who got Gaurav interested in it.

"I'm still stunned," said Linda Gooding, one of three contest judges. She then joked, "That's a couple more than I can do."

Gaurav began memorizing pi while a student in Gooding's class. Gooding holds the competition every year, and said she expected students to learn about 40 digits. Gaurav recited nearly 2,990 the first time.

Gaurav's parents promised him an Xbox 360 video game console if he had reached his goal. His father, Jogesh Rajav, jokingly offered to get him "an Xbox, but no game."

But Gaurav ultimately turned town his mother Seema's offer to buy him the game system anyway because of their deal.

He will try for the record again in May.

- Assosicated Press
AMAZING!

You know what, I was going to get you the system for reciting 10,000 digits of pi, but you only recited 8,000. So you get nothing.

What a stupid parent, and a stupid kid for refusing it.

What a stupid kid.

No, seriously. I hate people who memorize pi (or phi, or any other constant). It's a waste of memory. It's like, "Hmm, should I become an idiot savant and memorize 8,000 digits of pi or should I use my time to help others?"

It's not like memorizing pi's going to help you at all (except maybe in the "Pi-Reciting Championship of the Universe".

Yeah, I'm feeling mad today.

No offence to the kid. I'm just in a bad mood.

Personally, I've always wondered how people get all those pi digits. Surely a calculator won't do. Do they use a software or something?

I also agree with the poster above. Memorizing pi is a complete waste of time and memory. I'd rather learn new languages or something.

Phi - Kinda important in advanced theoretical astronomy, and Art oddly enough.

none the less, I chose to point out that he could be passing his GCSE's or their equivilant (wasn't paying attention asto where he lived and don't care enough to look) But no. He memorises Pi to several thousand places.
Way to go.

I've heard Pi set to a song before. Since I tend to remember music easily, I can probably recite more digits than the average person. Not nearly that many though.

Don't remind me. My dad bugs me about that song all of the time.

Here's what Conan had to say about this:

"It turns out, the only number he can't recite is a girl's phone number."

I think the key word there was "jokingly".

People are assuming that he spends all of his time studying for this and that because he knows this that he doesn't know other things. Some people do have a vivid enough memory that they can memorize a huge variety of things that not sacrifice others. We can't assume that he doesn't know certain things or doesn't do certain things jus because he did this. Someone that can recite that many numbers obviously has a superior memory than most people do. It just doesn't seem to me that reciting over 8,000 digits is something you can just "study hard" for.

I'd never do it, but I think it's cool that someone can recite something like that.

(...and in the end, everything we do in life is a waste of time and based on self-fulfillment, so if he enjoys wasting his time spewing out numbers, let him.)

People, please, stop being so negative.

You're acting jealous-like. Who cares if he can recite a lot of numbers? Let him memorize it. It doesn't hurt you to know he's actually doing something with his life -- even if it is something as "uneventful" as your apparent lives.

We're allowed our own opinions, Ammer. And I for one think it's a bit pointless to memorise it. I don't really care because it's HIS choice and everything, but I do think it's pointless and quite egotystical to do something like that and it isn't something I will ever try. Firstly, because I'm crap at maths Secondly because it would bore me to tears if I ever attempted it. Which I won't.

I know you're allowed your own opinions but I believe there is some un-necessary bashing going on. But, we'll just leave it at freedom of speech I guess.

I agree with Ammer. 'It's boring' is acceptable, but 'stupid kid' would be bashing. That's what I think, anyway. *shrugs*

I think he's very talented ^_^ It's pretty cool that he can do that. I dont think he wasted his time, I mean if its something hes good at who are we to stop him? That'd be like telling someone whos planning to become a doctor to forget their musical talents because its a waste of their time. I make no sense lol.