| Abstract: | This paper discusses the method of Liu Hui (3rd century) for evaluating the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, now known as π. A translation of Liu's method is given in the Appendix. Also examined are the values for π given by Zu Chongzhi (429–500) and unsurpassed for a millenium. Although the method used by Zu is not extant, it is almost certain that the applied Liu's method. With the help of an electronic computer, a table of computations adhering to Liu's method is given to show the derivation of Zu's results. The paper concludes with a survey of circle measurements in China. |
