CEREAL BUSINESS :.

ASTROPHYSICIST SOLVES CROP CIRCLE RIDDLE

An astrophysicist has helped solve the mystery of one of the most complex crop circles ever found - it depicts the most important number in mathematics.

Mike Reed said the 150-metre diameter formation represents a coded version of pi.

The 10-digit figure - - can be used to calculate the area and circumference of a circle.

The formation was created in a barley field near Barbury Castle, the iron age hillfort above Wroughton in Wiltshire earlier this month.

But even the crop circle enthusiasts and experts were left stumped when they tried to figure out its meaning.

But then Dr Reed contacted crop circle photographer and expert Lucy Pringle - who took these stunning photographs - with an explanation.

"I noticed a photograph of the Barbury Castle pattern yesterday.

"It is apparently a coded image representing the first ten digits of pi - the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter," he explained.

"The tenth digit has even been correctly rounded up. "The little dot near the centre is the decimal point.

"The code is based on ten angular segments with the radial jumps being the indicator of each segment.

"Starting at the centre and counting the number of one-tenth segments in each section contained by the change in radius clearly shows the values of the first ten digits in the value of pi," he added.

Maths codes and geometric patterns have long been an important factor in crop circle formations - one of the most famous formations ever created showed the image of a highly complex set of fractals known as The Julia Set, 12 years ago.

Lucy Pringle, who also is a researcher into the effects of electromagnetic fields on living systems in crop formations and has the largest database in the world in the phenomenon, said: "I agree with Mike this is an astounding development - it is a seminal event."

And it appears the creators of the crop formation are expert astronomers as well as mathematicians.

According to crop circle experts, the latest formation near West Kennet refers to a partial solar eclipse, which will be seen over the West on August 1 this year.

It is the second time the solar eclipse has been referred to in crop circles -one on Hackpen Hill was claimed to be related to it, experts said.

(Original headline: Easy as pi: Astrophysicist solves riddle of crop circle )