squaring the circle
Futile mathematical quest
Squaring the circle is attempting something impossible.
The phrase comes from an ancient geometry problem—constructing a square with the same area as a given circle using only compass and straightedge—which was proven mathematically impossible in 1882.
Now it describes any effort to reconcile fundamentally incompatible things or achieve the unachievable: Balancing the budget while cutting taxes is squaring the circle.
- impossibilityState of being unachievable
- impossible taskUndertaking that cannot succeed
- complexHaving many interconnected parts
- difficultRequiring much effort
- quadratureProcess of squaring numbers
undoable · lost cause · wild goose chase · pi · intractable · insoluble · irrational · unattainable · futility · pie in the sky · fool's errand · herding cats · tilting at windmills · puzzle · challenge · alchemy · moving the goalposts · Hilbert's problems
- Famous Problemstraveling salesman, Monty Hall, prisoner's dilemma, trolley problem, continuum hypothesis
- Greek mathematicsEuclid, Archimedes, Pythagoras, geometry, theorem
- geometry problemsquadrature, geometric proofs
- geometryangles, angle, shapes, lines, volume
squaring the circleachievable
Able to be accomplished
possible · attainable · within reach · doable · feasible
squaring the circlechild's play
Something extremely easy
piece of cake · cakewalk · no-brainer · walk in the park · easy as pie
square, squared, squares, squarely, squareness, squaring, circle, circles, circled