What is the fastest way to get the value of π?

Question

I\'m looking for the fastest way to obtain the value of π, as a personal challenge. More specifically, I\'m using ways that don\'t involve using #define constan

Answer 1

Pi is exactly 3! [Prof. Frink (Simpsons)]

Joke, but here's one in C# (.NET-Framework required).

using System;
using System.Text;

class Program {
    static void Main(string[] args) {
        int Digits = 100;

        BigNumber x = new BigNumber(Digits);
        BigNumber y = new BigNumber(Digits);
        x.ArcTan(16, 5);
        y.ArcTan(4, 239);
        x.Subtract(y);
        string pi = x.ToString();
        Console.WriteLine(pi);
    }
}

public class BigNumber {
    private UInt32[] number;
    private int size;
    private int maxDigits;

    public BigNumber(int maxDigits) {
        this.maxDigits = maxDigits;
        this.size = (int)Math.Ceiling((float)maxDigits * 0.104) + 2;
        number = new UInt32[size];
    }
    public BigNumber(int maxDigits, UInt32 intPart)
        : this(maxDigits) {
        number[0] = intPart;
        for (int i = 1; i < size; i++) {
            number[i] = 0;
        }
    }
    private void VerifySameSize(BigNumber value) {
        if (Object.ReferenceEquals(this, value))
            throw new Exception("BigNumbers cannot operate on themselves");
        if (value.size != this.size)
            throw new Exception("BigNumbers must have the same size");
    }

    public void Add(BigNumber value) {
        VerifySameSize(value);

        int index = size - 1;
        while (index >= 0 && value.number[index] == 0)
            index--;

        UInt32 carry = 0;
        while (index >= 0) {
            UInt64 result = (UInt64)number[index] +
                            value.number[index] + carry;
            number[index] = (UInt32)result;
            if (result >= 0x100000000U)
                carry = 1;
            else
                carry = 0;
            index--;
        }
    }
    public void Subtract(BigNumber value) {
        VerifySameSize(value);

        int index = size - 1;
        while (index >= 0 && value.number[index] == 0)
            index--;

        UInt32 borrow = 0;
        while (index >= 0) {
            UInt64 result = 0x100000000U + (UInt64)number[index] -
                            value.number[index] - borrow;
            number[index] = (UInt32)result;
            if (result >= 0x100000000U)
                borrow = 0;
            else
                borrow = 1;
            index--;
        }
    }
    public void Multiply(UInt32 value) {
        int index = size - 1;
        while (index >= 0 && number[index] == 0)
            index--;

        UInt32 carry = 0;
        while (index >= 0) {
            UInt64 result = (UInt64)number[index] * value + carry;
            number[index] = (UInt32)result;
            carry = (UInt32)(result >> 32);
            index--;
        }
    }
    public void Divide(UInt32 value) {
        int index = 0;
        while (index < size && number[index] == 0)
            index++;

        UInt32 carry = 0;
        while (index < size) {
            UInt64 result = number[index] + ((UInt64)carry << 32);
            number[index] = (UInt32)(result / (UInt64)value);
            carry = (UInt32)(result % (UInt64)value);
            index++;
        }
    }
    public void Assign(BigNumber value) {
        VerifySameSize(value);
        for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
            number[i] = value.number[i];
        }
    }

    public override string ToString() {
        BigNumber temp = new BigNumber(maxDigits);
        temp.Assign(this);

        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        sb.Append(temp.number[0]);
        sb.Append(System.Globalization.CultureInfo.CurrentCulture.NumberFormat.CurrencyDecimalSeparator);

        int digitCount = 0;
        while (digitCount < maxDigits) {
            temp.number[0] = 0;
            temp.Multiply(100000);
            sb.AppendFormat("{0:D5}", temp.number[0]);
            digitCount += 5;
        }

        return sb.ToString();
    }
    public bool IsZero() {
        foreach (UInt32 item in number) {
            if (item != 0)
                return false;
        }
        return true;
    }

    public void ArcTan(UInt32 multiplicand, UInt32 reciprocal) {
        BigNumber X = new BigNumber(maxDigits, multiplicand);
        X.Divide(reciprocal);
        reciprocal *= reciprocal;

        this.Assign(X);

        BigNumber term = new BigNumber(maxDigits);
        UInt32 divisor = 1;
        bool subtractTerm = true;
        while (true) {
            X.Divide(reciprocal);
            term.Assign(X);
            divisor += 2;
            term.Divide(divisor);
            if (term.IsZero())
                break;

            if (subtractTerm)
                this.Subtract(term);
            else
                this.Add(term);
            subtractTerm = !subtractTerm;
        }
    }
}