A 10-year-old British boy has broken the world record for recalling the most decimal places of pi in one minute. Alberto Davila Aragon, a student from Bristol, set the new record by memorising and reciting 280 digits of pi in just 60 seconds.
Aragon's journey with the mathematical constant began in March 2024 when his school organised a pi digits competition with an unusual prize-pieing the headmaster in the face.
"In March 2024, my school organised an exciting Pi digits competition with an amazing prize: the chance to pie our headmaster in the face! Determined to win, I went home and committed myself to memorising as many digits of Pi as I could," Alberto Davila Aragon told Guinness World Records.
"I emerged as the winner of the competition, having memorised an impressive 150 digits of Pi. The moment finally arrived when I got to pie our headmaster [...]!"
"It was an exhilarating experience, and I'm grateful to our headmaster for creating such a fun and inspiring challenge that motivated me to test my memory skills."
According to Guinness World Records, this was only the start of Alberto's record-breaking journey.
Motivated by his initial success, he continued to push himself, learning even more of Pi's digits and improving his speed, until he was ready to challenge the world record.
When that moment arrived, his parents helped him organise the event.
They got in touch with Bristol University in search of a mathematician, with local sports clubs in search of experienced timekeepers and a professional witness.
"Then, we wanted an iconic location for this record, one that was significant to me," Alberto explained.
"From the [Clifton] observatory, the view of the iconic suspension bridge is amazing - I cross that bridge every day on my journey to school.
"I love school, and I'm also a great student - just a bit chatty, according to my teachers!"
After winning the contest by recalling 150 digits, Aragon continued practising, ultimately shattering the world record. Pi Day, celebrated annually on March 14, is a nod to the first three digits of pi-3.14.
