🚀 go-pugleaf

JRS:  In article <7ks8ls$mgk$1@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net> of Wed, 23 Jun
1999 22:24:59 in news:comp.lang.pascal.delphi.misc, Earl F. Glynn
<EarlGlynn@att.net> wrote:
>An updated "Lab Report" about estimating the value of pi
>by "throwing" needles on a set of parallel lines can be found at:
>
>http://www.efg2.com/lab/Mathematics/Buffon.htm
>
>The example includes complete Delphi source code and a
>complete description of the mathematics and the various
>methods of randomly "throwing" the needles.

The following will do it, in BP7 and D3 DCC32 -cc modes :

  var U, V, W : longint ;
  begin V := 0 ; W := 10000000 ; Randomize ;
  for U := 1 to W do if cos(Random*Pi*0.5)>Random then Inc(V) ;
  Write(2.0/(V/W):0:6) ; Readln ;
  end.

This represents a needle of length 2 thrown on planks spaced by 2, and
tests whether the projected half-length of the needle exceeds the
distance between the centre and the nearest line.

It will be interesting to see whether you've managed to avoid using a
value for Pi, implicitly or explicitly, in the work.

A quick test shows that the result obtained from the above code depends
on, but is not proportional to, the value used for Pi.
 
-- 
 � John Stockton, Surrey, UK.  jrs@merlyn.demon.co.uk   Turnpike v4.00   MIME. �
  Web <URL: http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> - TP/BP/&c. FAQqish topics & links.
  Timo's TurboPascal <A HREF="ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tsfaqp.zip">FAQ</A>.
  <A HREF="http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/clpb-faq.txt">Mini-FAQ</A> of c.l.p.b.