17 September 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3229: diameter

“So, the way you calculate how many pies you need is to look at if the pan is eight or nine inches across, and then count how many people you need to give pie to, and then multiply by 3 to find out how many inches of pie you need. You can never not have enough pie this way. Math is amazing!”

“Uh...”

This exchange between nine-year-old Milton Trent and his 16-year-old cousin Tom Stepforth about how to calculate the circumference of a circle with its diameter and pi was the beginning of exchanges that would send their grandfather, Mr. Thomas Stepforth Sr. from the room in tears of laughter.

“Remind me not to let anyone hire Milton as their math tutor,” Milton's sister eleven-year-old Velma Trent said. “But on the other hand, nobody is going without first and seconds of pie, either.”

“Ain't it the truth,” Velma and Milton's eight-year-old sister Gracie said. “But see this is why they have things like applied mathematics.”

“And, I mean, Milton may not be wrong,” Vertran said. “There's like 20 of us, counting all Trents and Stepforths and Jubilees and Lees and Ludlows hanging around in our Covid bubble. So, 60 inches of pie is three inches of pie each, and that's about eight whole pies. Enough for today, tomorrow, and Sunday without anyone having to cook again.”

“Yeah, but math pi is 3.14 inches and some change,” Velma said. “I remember this from when Vanna was doing this kind of homework."

Vertran considered this.

“Well, nobody is going to give Lil' Robert Ludlow three inches of pie, although he will want it more than anyone else, and Grayson won't want his three inches because that's too much to eat while he could be Legoing.”

“It all works out,” Velma said. “The beauty of applied mathematics, I guess.”

“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said.