Decimal notation was proposed by Juan of Seville in the 12th century. He would have written pi as 3-1416/10000 (I can't format this in Eudora). In 1585 the Dutchman, Simon Stevin proposed 3(0)1(1)4(2)1(3)6(4). This was simplified by Fren�ois Vi�te of France to 3|1416, which in continental European languages became 3,1416 (the comma is virgule in French, Komma in German, coma in Spanish, komma in Dutch and Swedish, c�mma in Italian). Albert Mettler's metric survey of 1975 found that 24 counteries of continental Europe use the comma as decimal marker. In Britain John Napier of Edinburgh in 1617 decided to use the point or period as his decimal marker, and it has spread throughout the English-speaking world, as well as in several Asian countries. Joseph B. Reid 17 Glebe Road West Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071
