Simon Plouffe, Mathematician
3035, rue Bossuet, app. 1, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H1N 2S7
E-mail: simon.plouffe@sympatico.ca
Tel. 514-899-9391
Biography
Simon Plouffe is a creative independent mathematician from Montreal who
established his reputation at a very young age with his passion for the number Pi.
He won international acclaim with his dicovery of the algorithm and formula for the
computation of the n'th digit of pi in binary and decimal, to which he devoted the
first twenty years of his career. He is the author of two books and many articles. His
ability to popularize mathematics through upbeat presentations has made him the
subject of several articles and interviews. He has presented conferences
internationally in Canada, the United States, France, and Italy. He will be an invited
lecturer at the RNC6 (Real Numbers and Computers) conference in Daghstul,
Germany, in November 2004 and has been awarded the Prix de Reconnaissance by
the University of Quebec at Montreal in April 2004. He is the founder of 3 websites
in current use.
Career Highlights
1975
World record for memorizing Pi (4096 digits), published in the
Guiness Book of World Records.
1987
Discovered the algorithm for the n’th binary digit of Plouffe’s Constant
which is arctan(1/2)/Pi.
1991
1993
Collaborated on development of GFUN package in Maple.
Discovered Tribonacci numbers equation.
1995
Published the Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences with Neil Sloane and
later the On-line version at
http://www.research.att.com/~njas/sequences/
1995
Established Inverse Symbolic Calculator website:
http://www.cecm.sfu.ca/projects/ISC/
1998
Established Plouffe’s Inverter website:
http://pi.lacim.uqam.ca:16080/eng/
2002
Calculated Bernoulli numbers to B(750,000).
2003
Discovered a new Von-Staudt-Clausen-like equation.
Work History
Teaching
• University of Quebec, Montrealr, winter 2004, EDI basic
principles. Informatique théorique, Invited lecture.
• Delta College, Montreal, Math 532, winter 2000.
• Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Calculus Using Maply V,
1995.
• University of Bordeaux I, Algebra, 1992–1993.
• University of Quebec at Montreal, tutoring, 1981–1985, approx.
800 hours : Calculus, Algebra, Number Theory basic courses.
Business
and
Industry
• Senior consultant, data and system administrator, CGI, Montreal.
Assigned to PSA PeopleSoft and Air Canada.
1998–2004
• Analyst, Hydro Quebec. 2-month project at Siemens, Minneapolis.
1998
• Analyst, MicroIntel, Montreal. 4-month feasability study for the
digitalization of the National Archives of Quebec.
1995
• Analyst, Air Canada, Montreal. Maintained Human Resources
system in FOCUS.
1994
• Analyst, Hydro Quebec, collection department, Montreal.
1989–1991
• Analyst, Via Rail Canada, engineering and maintenance
department.
1985–1989
Publications
Allouche, J.-P., A. Arnold, J. Berstel, S. Brlek, W. Jockush, S. Plouffe, and B. E.
Sagan. “A Relative of the Thue-Morse Sequence.” Discrete Math, vol. 139
(1995), 455–461.
Bailey, David H., and Simon Plouffe. “Recognizing Numerical Constants.” Organic
Mathematics Project Proceedings (Canadian Mathematical Society), vol. 20
(1997).
Bailey, David, Peter Borwein, and Simon Plouffe. “On the Rapid Computation of
Various Polylogarithmic Constants.” Mathematics of Computation, vol. 66
(1997), 903–917.
Bailey, David, Jonathan M. Borwein, Peter B. Borwein, and Simon Plouffe. “The
Quest for Pi.” Mathematical Intelligencer (1996).
Bergeron, François, and Simon Plouffe. “Computing the Generating Function of a
Series Given Its First Terms.” Experimental Mathematics, vol. 1, no. 4 (1992),
307–312.
Pallascio, R., G. Labelle, et al. Mathématiques d’hier et d’aujourd’hui. Montreal :
Modulo, 2000.
Plouffe, Simon. “Une méthode pour obtenir la fonction génératrice d’une série.”
Proceedings of FPSAC (Formal Power Series and Algebraic Combinatorics),
University of Florence, June 21–25, 1993.
______. “The Computation of Certain Numbers Using a Ruler and Compass.”
Journal of Integer Sequences, vol. 1, article 98.1.3 (1998).
______, and Neil Sloane. The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. San Diego:
Academic Press, 1995).
Published online by Project Gutenberg:
“Miscellaneous Mathematical Constants” (1996).
“The First 1000 Euler Numbers” (2001).
“The First 1001 Fibonacci Numbers” (2001).
“The First 498 Bernoulli Numbers” (2001).
“Value of Zeta(3) to 1,000,000 Places” (2001).
Conferences and Talks
____
“A search for a mathematical expression for mass ratios using a large
database”, DIMACS-GERAD Workshop on Computers and Discovery, june
2-5 2004.
“How to guess a generating function”, “The long division”, University of New
Hampshire, Mathematics and Statistics dept. May 5-7 2004.
Camp Mathématique, UQAM 2004.
“610 million constants, 98500 sequences and 1 table vs the CODATA 2002.”
University of Quebec at Montreal, Computer Theory and Combinatorics
Seminar, April 2 2004
“Bernoulli Numbers: Sequences and Prime Numbers.” University of Quebec at
Montreal, Theoretical Computer Science and Combinatorics Seminar, Feb.
21, 2003.
“The Plouffe Inverter.” University of Quebec at Montreal, January 14, 2000.
“The Nth Binary Digit of Pi.” Mathematics Club, University of Québec at
Montreal, Feb. 18, 1998.
“Number Crunching with the Inverter.” Graduate seminar, ISM (Institut des
Sciences Mathématiques), Montreal, March 30, 1998.
“The 400 Billionth Binary Digit of Pi Is Zero.” Communications Security
Establishment, Ottawa, July 8, 1997.
“The Nth Decimal Digit of Pi.” Workshop on Experimental Mathematics, Center
for Mathematics Research, University of Montreal, May 29, 1997.
“Computer Search of Identities for  and Simple Rational Sums.” CECM (Centre
for Experimental & Constructive Mathematics), Vancouver, August 22,
1996.
“Pi and Transcendantal Numbers.” Computer theory seminar, University of
Quebec at Montréal, November 14, 1995.
“On the Nth Digit of Transcendental Numbers.” CECM, Simon Fraser University,
Vancouver, October 25, 1995.
“How to Guess a Generating Function.” Graduate conference, Simon Fraser
University, Vancouver, May 18, 1995.
“Identities Found Using GFUN, and Tables of Real Numbers.” University of
Québec at Montréal, December 10, 1993.
“A New Method for Obtaining the Algebraic Generating Function from a Series.”
University of Florence, June 22, 1993, and Cornell University, September
24, 1993.
“Generating Functions and Sequences: Maple and the New Handbook of Integer
Sequences.” Project Algo, INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en
Informatique et Automatique), Paris, Feb. 24, 1992.
“Formula for the Nth Tribonacci Number.” University of Bordeaux I, April 2,
1993.
“Generating Sequences.” Quebec Mathematicians Conferences, McGill
University, Montreal, October 19, 1991, and Computer Theory Seminar,
University of Québec at Montréal, September 19, 1991.
“History of Pi.” University of Québec at Montréal, Graduate conference, January
23, 1983.
“Hypocloids and Congruences.” Congress of the Quebec Mathematics
Association, Hull, Québec, October 20, 1979.
Articles about My Work
“A Passion for Pi.” Ivars Peterson. MAA online, March 11, 1996.
“Pick a Digit, Any Digit.” Ivars Peterson. Math Trek, Feb. 28, 1998.
“Obsession de Pi.” Jean-Paul Delahaye. Pour la Science, Jan. 1997.
“From Numbers to Formula.” Ivars Peterson. MathLand, Nov. 9, 1996.
“A question of numbers. ” Brian Hayes. American Scientist, Jan-Feb, 1996.
“Next in line.” Ivars Peterson. MathLand, Nov. 16, 1996.
“Certitudes sans démonstration.” Jean-Paul Delahaye. Pour La Science, July
1998.
“Plouffe's Constant.” Steve Finch. mathSoft, online.
“Plouffe's Constant.” Eric Weisstein. Mathworld (Wolfram Research).
“The BBP Algorithm. ” Mathworld (Wolfram Research).
“Squaring the Circle is No Piece of Pi.” Bruce Watson. Smithsonian, May 2000.
Radio and Television Interviews
Superseeker and Lookup of the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, By
Pierre Couture, Radio-Canada, Aug. 19, 1994.
Pi and the CECM. MSNBC, Nov. 1996.
The Inverse Symbolic Calculator, n’th Binary Digit of Pi, and Numbers. By
Suzanne Marcotte, Radio Canada, January 1996.
The n’th Binary Digit of Pi. Les années-lumière, Radio Canada, Nov. 9, 1997.
The Plouffe Inverter. Les années-lumière, Radio Canada, May 24, 1998.
The Fibonacci Numbers and Plants. Television interview at the Montreal
Botannical Gardins for the UNESCO International Year of Mathematics,
Canal Z, Feb. 2000.
The History of the Zero. Télévision Quatre Saisons, April 2001.
Education
M.S., Mathematics, University of Quebec at Montreal, 1992.
Thesis: Les approximations de séries génératrices et quelques conjectures. The
Approximation of Generating Functions and a Few Conjectures.
References
Gilbert Labelle
Mathematics professor, University of Quebec at Montreal
Thesis director and mentor
labelle.gilbert@uqam.ca
514-987-3000, ext. 6168.
Christophe Reutenauer
Director of the LACIM (Laboratoire de Combinatoire et informatique mathematique)
University of Quebec at Montreal
christo@math.uqam.ca
514-987-3000, ext. 3228
Doron Zeilberger
Mathematics professor
Temple University
zeilberg@math.rutgers.edu
732-445-1326
Neil J. A. Sloane
AT&T Fellow
AT&T Shannon Lab
180 Park Ave, Room C233, Florham Park NJ 07932-0971
njas@research.att.com
97-360-8415