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April 23, 20260 citationsOpen Access

β = π/4

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GHGeoffrey Howland

Key Points

  • The aim is to demonstrate the difference in measurement of circumference using L1 and L2 metrics in circular geometry.
  • Described the geometry of a circle inscribed in a square.
  • Introduced a staircase approximation to the circle's circumference.
  • Analyzed the limits of convergence in terms of L1 and L2 distances.
  • Confirmed that the staircase perimeter remains 4d despite refinements.
  • Established that the staircase correctly measures L1 circumference, not arclength.
  • Indicated that the naive conclusion of π=4 arises from misunderstanding L1 distance.

Abstract

The Metric Conversion Factor Between L1 and L2 on Circular Geometry A circle of diameter d has circumference πd. Inscribe the circle in a square of side d. The square's perimeter is 4d. Now approximate the circle with a staircase — a rectilinear path that follows the circle ever more closely, each step smaller than the last. At every level of refinement the staircase perimeter remains exactly 4d. In the limit of infinitely fine steps, the staircase converges pointwise to the circle but its perimeter never converges to πd. It stays at 4d. The naive conclusion is π = 4. The standard correction is that the staircase does not converge in arclength, only in position. That correction is correct but incomplete. It says what goes wrong without saying what the staircase is actually measuring. The staircase is measuring L1 distance. The taxicab metric, the Manhattan distance, the sum of absolute coordinate displacements. In L1, the distance from (0,0) to (1,1) is 2, not √2. The staircase perimeter is the L1 circumference of the circle. And the L1 circumference of a circle of diameter d is exactly 4d, regardless of how many steps the staircase has. This is not a failure of convergence. It is a correct measurement in a different metric. Package Contents:* `manuscript.md`: Paper* `README.md`: Overview

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Cite This Study

Geoffrey Howland (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69e9bb9e85696592c86ed364https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19665363
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