Can you calculate Pi using a Solver?

[Valentin Albillo]

.
Hi again, EdS2:

(12-12-2019 03:02 PM)EdS2 Wrote:  Merely evaluating an expression doesn't feel like it's making proper use of a solver.)

Frankly, I don't understand why you're so fixed in solving something (as in finding the root of some equation, say) and think evaluating expressions isn't "proper use of a solver".

Matter of fact, what distinguishes the best solvers is their capability to do much more than finding roots, and being in fact able to essentially do some kind of programming with them increases their power and usefulness an order of magnitude. That is making proper use of a solver, the same way that doing synthetic programming was a proper use of RPN in the HP-41C.

Anyway, I'll indulge you. You want to use the Solver to compute a 10 or 12 digit approximation to Pi by "using the Solver to Solve Some Equation" ? Try this one:

Find the root between 3 and 4 of:      e\(^{\frac{x\sqrt{163}}{3}}\) - 640320 = 0.

If the Solver works as it should it will find the root:

      x = 3.141592653589793... which agrees with Pi to all 16 digits shown.

Regards.
V.