Before the Ides of March

Question

If I lost a leg I'd be twice the size
When grown up I cause many multiplies
Maybe mistaken for a fifth in Rome
Or for twelve thirteenths in a modern home

What am I?

Happy (British) Pie Week. – Strawberry Mar 14 '17 at 14:27 — Strawberry, Mar 14 '17 at 14:27

score 14 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:50

14

You are

$\pi$

If I lost a leg I'd be twice the size

By removing one vertical line from $\pi$ we get $\tau$, which is a standard mathematical notation for $2\pi$; see for example the links http://www.thepimanifesto.com/ and https://xkcd.com/1292/

When grown up I cause many multiplies

$\prod$ is used as symbol for products in mathematical equations.

Maybe mistaken for a fifth in Rome

Aicient Greek (not sure what this has to do with Rome) notation for 5 was something that resembles as PI. . Thanks to Jan Ivan

Or for twelve thirteenths in a modern home

I got nothing here. Still looking for something that matches.

Bonus (Before the Ides of March)

Happy Pi day. March 14. The Ides of March was March 15th in Rome.

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:50

Community

1

answered Mar 14 '17 at 09:31

Marius

18,049
4
54
101

3

rome 5 is proly just = V, but greek ancient 5 = Π – Jan Ivan Mar 14 '17 at 09:56
3

Line 2: In mathematics, the capital-pi is used to denote products (in the same way as the capital-sigma is used to denote summations) – Gamow Mar 14 '17 at 12:03
@Gamow. It was so obvious and I missed it. Thanks – Marius Mar 14 '17 at 12:07
1

Two years ago I solved another puzzle in this spirit: http://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/10264/the-green-searcher – Gamow Mar 14 '17 at 12:10
1

@Gamow. I see your move, and answer with this move: http://tauday.com/tau-digits – Marius Mar 14 '17 at 13:21
1

@Gamow, Also, from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi "In 1958 Albert Eagle proposed replacing π by τ (tau), where τ = π/2, to simplify formulas. However, no other authors are known to use τ in this way. Some people use a different value, τ = 6.283185... = 2π ...." – Marius Mar 14 '17 at 13:25
A year ago, a relatively easy matchstick puzzle. Happy pi day everyone :) – ABcDexter Mar 14 '17 at 15:43
Marius has it. Lines 3 & 4 are based on the defining formula of the answer. Thx @Gamow too. – Tom Mar 27 '17 at 13:28
1

Lines 3 & 4 use the formula pi = C/D – Tom Apr 07 '17 at 08:55
@Marius - you have the answer - to finish can use Roman and Hex for lines 3&4 – Tom Apr 27 '17 at 09:49
@Marius - this would be a perfect day to finish last two lines, use Roman and hexadecimals. – Tom Jun 28 '17 at 09:07
@Tom Sorry, but I have no idea. – Marius Jun 28 '17 at 09:09
1

@Marius, it's just, Line 3) C = 100 / D = 500, Line 4) C = 12 / D = 13 (computer hex) – Tom Jun 28 '17 at 09:11

Before the Ides of March

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