# So, on a Mac, PI + PI = 6 ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2008, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843 "2008-01-09T10:23:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/21 "2008-01-09T15:42:54Z")
[QUOTE=sachertorte] My calculator app doesn’t even have pi. [/QUOTE] Mac OSX 10.5.1 In the Calculator app, View Menu, select “scientific”. Also go to the Item “Decimal Places” and set it to a value greater than 0, and you will get the value displayed to the specified precision 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/22 "2008-01-09T16:30:45Z")
Obligatory link to the [master’s comments](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_341.html). ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/23 "2008-01-09T17:45:53Z")
It seems to work fine in RPN mode, but in infix it’s pretty broken. Nice find! [QUOTE=mks57] I normally use an HP-48GX emulator on my Mac, so I’ve never bothered using Apple’s calculator app. [/QUOTE] I thought I was the only one. Though I also use the “programmer” mode on calculator.app. It is extremely useful when doing otherwise annoying bit by bit work in tcp/ip programming. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/24 "2008-01-09T17:57:27Z")
For quick and dirty calculations, don’t forget that in 10.5, Spotlight now offers a Googlesque ability to do some calcs right in the searchlight bar. This alone was worth the price. If only it could use Excel formulae as well, I’d probably have less of a need for opening Excel as much. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/25 "2008-01-09T18:07:59Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] No bug in 10.5. [/QUOTE] I can confirm this. Tried it several ways, can’t get an answer of “6.” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/26 "2008-01-09T18:56:37Z")
You’re not running OS X on the original Pentium, are you? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/27 "2008-01-09T20:12:06Z")
[QUOTE=mks57] pi - 3 = 0 [/QUOTE] What does (pi-3)\*3 give you? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/28 "2008-01-09T20:19:22Z")
Err, actually do (pi-3)\*10 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/29 "2008-01-09T23:22:56Z")
pi + pi = 6 (pi - 3)\* 10 = 1.4159265359 pi - 3 = 0 I am an HP48GX emulator user. I didn’t even know this application was any more complicated than the basic one. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/30 "2008-01-09T23:50:56Z")
Actually, if you just punch pi then = you get 3 ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/31 "2008-01-10T00:53:49Z")
[QUOTE=treis] Err, actually do (pi-3)\*10 [/QUOTE] pi - 3 = 0 - 10 = 0 (pi - 3)\*10 = 1.415926535898 (pi - 3) = 0 The parentheses (sometimes) change the result. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/32 "2008-01-10T03:17:23Z")
PI \* PI = 6.2813… on mine, but then I’m running 10.5.1. Can you point me to the HP48GX emulator? I’m… curious. I have an actual HP48GX, and I bought a serial cable for it, plus a serial-to-USB adaptor, so that I could connect the HP48 to the Mac, but so far I haven’t gotten CKermit working over the serial link. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/33 "2008-01-10T03:27:09Z")
No bug in 10.4.11 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/34 "2008-01-10T03:38:30Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Apple pi bugs? Why those are as American as Mom and… something. [/QUOTE] Mmmmmm… Apple PI \ Edit: PI + PI = Homer’s favourite equation. ---
**Author:** ![SiouxChief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@SiouxChief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiouxChief)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/35 "2008-01-10T04:15:35Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] No bug in 10.4.11 [/QUOTE] Are you sure? I was on 10.4.11 this morning when I found that Pi + Pi gives 6 after hitting the C (Clear) button. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/36 "2008-01-10T07:37:56Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Can you point me to the HP48GX emulator? I’m… curious. [/QUOTE] [http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7377/x48-for-os-x](http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7377/x48-for-os-x) The original web site for the program has disappeared, but the above link looks like the version I have on my Mac (Version 1.2, Mac OS X, PowerPC). If you have any problems downloading it, I can mail you a copy. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/37 "2008-01-10T09:42:56Z")
[QUOTE=SiouxChief] Are you sure? I was on 10.4.11 this morning when I found that Pi + Pi gives 6 after hitting the C (Clear) button. [/QUOTE] Mine’s 10.4.11 too. And its the same on my officemate’s Mac which is 10.4.10… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/38 "2008-01-10T11:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=SiouxChief] Are you sure? I was on 10.4.11 this morning when I found that Pi + Pi gives 6 after hitting the C (Clear) button. [/QUOTE] I’ve got several different calculator apps, but only one has a pi key. It works accurately. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/39 "2008-01-11T01:45:57Z")
This app seems to be all over the place. I got: π-3=0 π-3_10=-26.8584073464102 π+π=6 π_2-6=0.283185307179586 Numbers, on the other hand, the new spreadsheet app from Apple, returns correct values. No idea what’s up with Calculator. It must be using some odd calculation for approximation or truncating decimals somewhere. Considering that floating-point operations have been run for showing differences in performance between Apple processors, some geek would surely have caught it by now if it were a system-wide or OS-wide bug. > [@panache45](#): > > I’ve got several different calculator apps, but only one has a pi key. It works accurately. We’re talking about the Calculator application included in the standard installation of OS X. The scientific functions are hidden by default, but you can toggle between the relatively limited standard calculator, a scientific one, and a programming calculator in the View menu. Unless you’re using this specific application, you’re probably not going to see the error we’re seeing. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843/40 "2008-01-11T04:19:30Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Apple pi bugs? Why those are as American as Mom and… something. [/QUOTE] Your pun is good, but I wonder if the Apple folks did this deliberately in order to evoke some kind of pun about “Apple Pi”? Like one of those “Easter Eggs” they put on DVDs? This seems extremely unlikely, of course, but it just occurred to me. Hmm. Maybe the joke is that Apple pi is _round_? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-on-a-mac-pi-pi-6/432843.md?page=3)