The idea that there could be a method of taking a circle and constructing from it a square that had exactly the same area and the same perimeter. Although the idea has a long history and although it has long been known that it is impossible, it nevertheless persisted for centuries, so much so that the expression “squaring the circle” has come to represent similar impossible hopes and dreams. One of those claiming to have succeeded was Ramon Lull (1232-1315). He circumscribed and inscribed squares about a circle and then drew the square halfway between the two. But this final square is a very poor approximation to either the area or the perimeter of the circle, and Lull was only repeating a method that had been in use for many years. There are various ways of improving on this method, getting closer to either the area or the perimeter, but obtaining a perfect solution to either can be shown to be a hopeless task.