# Squaring a Circle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2010, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734 "2010-02-28T08:04:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/1 "2010-02-28T08:04:50Z")
This question popped into my head just before trying to sleep and is bugging the crap out of me. If a square and circle have equal area, which has a larger circumference/perimeter? ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/2 "2010-02-28T08:09:03Z")
The square. Actually, any shape, compared to a circle of the same area, will have a larger perimeter; circles have the lowest possible perimeter per area (or, as I tend to think of it, the most area per perimeter). ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/3 "2010-02-28T08:10:47Z")
This is pretty easy to figure out. A square with an area of one has a perimeter of four. Since the area of a circle is pi\*r[sup]2[/sup], a circle with an area of one has a radius of sqrt( 1 / pi ), which is roughly 0.56, and thus a circumference of 3.52. ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/4 "2010-02-28T08:13:27Z")
If I remember my Physics lessons correctly, this is the reason why liquids form spherical drops and circular splatters, because of surface tension, they reduce their surface area, ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/5 "2010-02-28T08:13:28Z")
THANK YOU! Off to bed. Any other interesting bits of info I will enjoy in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/6 "2010-02-28T08:14:05Z")
the square will have larger perimeter, for generic discussion see here [Isoperimetric inequality - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoperimetry) This is reflected in the story of queen Dido/Elissa the founder of Carthage. Allegedly, she showed up in Tunis with a small band and convinced the local ruler to sell her as much land as can be covered by an ox hide. She then cut it up into a thin line and used it to encircle the most area for the same perimeter - namely a circle around a hill. Not a square or any other figure. ---
**Author:** ![retsin2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@retsin2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/retsin2000)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/7 "2010-02-28T08:20:48Z")
This is the corner of Hoedown Dr and Square Circle near Columbia MO. Probably won’t help you with you question although it seems to be answered already. I lived a couple doors down from here many years ago. Your question reminded me of Square Circle. Hoedown isn’t a bad street name either. This url generated by the Weird Url generator, it just sounds dangerous. https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Columbia,%2BMO%2B65201&daddr=S%2BSquare%2BCir&hl=en&geocode=FR2fUQIda3qA-ik_s94paLnchzE_AnnB4o8a_g%3BFQlZUQIdVvB--g&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=19&sll=38.885592,-92.344519&sspn=0.00143,0.002411&ie=UTF8&ll=38.885592,-92.34451&spn=0.00143,0.002411 ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/8 "2010-02-28T15:03:31Z")
A fun book to read about Pi and the squaring of the circle is _A History of Pi_, Petr Beckmann. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/9 "2010-02-28T15:18:57Z")
∏r[sup]2[/sup]. So my cornbread r round. 😛 'Cause I make my cornbread in a cast-iron skillet. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/10 "2010-02-28T17:24:58Z")
> [@](#): > > This is reflected in the story of queen Dido/Elissa the founder of Carthage. Allegedly, she showed up in Tunis with a small band and convinced the local ruler to sell her as much land as can be covered by an ox hide. She then cut it up into a thin line and used it to encircle the most area for the same perimeter - namely a circle around a hill. Not a square or any other figure. A semicircle, actually, right up against the coast. We were just discussing this in [another GQ thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=553892), still active. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squaring-a-circle/530734/11 "2010-02-28T17:59:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > (Regarding Dido’s Problem) A semicircle, actually, right up against the coast. Yes. I think wikipedia is to blame for the confusion, not your quotee. Apparently some zealous Wiki editor decided to merge the “Dido’s Problem” page into the “Isoperimetric Inequality” page and (although Dido’s Problem is stated correctly if briefly there) somehow the problem ended up misstated on the page for Dido herself! What’s the technical term for a work of writing so well polished that any futher attempt at improvement is likely to worsen it instead? Whatever that is, many Wikipedia pages seem to have reached it. :mad: There’s a lot of good info at Wikipedia you have to click History to find. :smack: