The Math Behind Pizza

Understanding why bigger pizzas are almost always a better deal comes down to one simple formula.

Area = π × r²

Where r is the radius (half the diameter). The key insight is that the area grows with the square of the radius, not linearly.

A Practical Example

Let's compare a 12" pizza to a 16" pizza:

12" Pizza:
Radius = 6 inches
Area = π × 6² = π × 36 = 113.1 sq inches

16" Pizza:
Radius = 8 inches
Area = π × 8² = π × 64 = 201.1 sq inches

The 16" pizza is only 33% larger in diameter, but it has 78% more pizza!

To find the true value, we calculate the price per square inch:

Value = Price ÷ Area

If the 12" costs $10:
$10 ÷ 113.1 = $0.088 per sq inch

If the 16" costs $14:
$14 ÷ 201.1 = $0.070 per sq inch

Even though the larger pizza costs 40% more, you're paying 20% less per square inch of pizza!

Two smalls equals one large: Usually false! Two 10" pizzas (157 sq in total) is less than one 14" pizza (154 sq in). They're almost equal!
Medium is the sweet spot: Rarely. Larger pizzas almost always have better price-per-area ratios.
Crust matters: True! Thin crust means more topping area, thick crust means more bread per dollar.

Ready to find the best pizza deal?