Teach Engineering: A Chance at Monte Carlo

At its core, the LEGO MINDSTORMS product provides a programmable microprocessor. Students use the EV3 processor to simulate an experiment involving thousands of uniformly random points placed within a unit square. Using the underlying geometry of the experimental model, as well as the geometric definition of the constant (pi), students form an empirical ratio of areas to estimate a numerical value of pi. Although typically used for numerical integration of irregular shapes, in this activity, students use a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate a common but rather complex analytical form the numerical value of the most famous irrational number, pi.