The Sine of Pi
Lyrics by Eric McDowell
Music by Billy Joel
Sung to the tune of “The Longest Time”
Further than the negatives go on;
Less than every valid epsilon;
That’s where I find you,
You’re the only unsigned value.
My central figure, you’re the Sine of Pi.
You’re the fairest factor I can name;
You treat all real numbers just the same.
You’re the result of
Every product you’re a part of –
You send each number to the Sine of Pi.
While the others try to alter me,
You’re my additive identity.
That disallows you –
You won’t try to change my values.
I’m glad I’m added to the Sine of Pi.
No one noticed you at the start;
The traits of your heart
Are hard to impart.
Now we know the number that you are;
You’ve helped us come this far,
And you’re more than we hoped for.
Cruel divisors posing as my friend
Treat me like some common dividend.
But you won’t try to –
I can’t be divided by you;
There’s no one like you, you’re the Sine of Pi.
If you should subtract yourself from me
The difference you would leave
Would equal only me.
Should I take myself away from you,
That act would turn me into
My additive inverse.
When I write one-hundred-million-two
I use seven images of you.
Your lovely faces,
They all hold my empty places;
I fill those spaces with the Sine of Pi.