Kirsten Dent

The History of the Pythagorean Theorem

“The most famous result in mathematics is perhaps the Pythagoras theorem. Every high

school student if asked to state one mathematical result correctly, would invariably choose this

theorem. However, there is a considerable debate whether the Pythagorean theorem was

discovered once, or many times in many places” (Saikia, 2013, p. 5). There are many

mathematical topics or theorems in the world were we always question who came up with it first;

Pythagorean theorem is one of those theorems.

Many different people from all over the world have taken part in adding what they know

to the Pythagorean theorem. “The theorem is named after the Greek mathematician Pythagoras

(570- 495 BC) who by tradition is credited with its proof, although it is often argued that

knowledge of the theorem predates him” (Saikia, 2013, p. 1). Pythagoras traveled all over the

world and people believe that he may have used some ideas from those places to help him come

up with this theorem.

Other people who have added to the Pythagorean theorem include, “Bartel Leendert van

der Waerden [who] conjectured that Pythagorean triples were discovered algebraically by the

Babylonians. (Saikia, 2013, p. 2). As well as “In India, the Baudhayana Sulba Sutra, the dates of

which are given variously as between the 8th century BC and the 2nd century BC, contains a list

of Pythagorean triples discovered algebraically, a statement of the Pythagorean theorem, and a

geometrical proof of the Pythagorean theorem for an isosceles right triangle” (Saikia, 2013, p. 3).

It appears that the Pythagorean theorem was being solved in many different ways all over the

world. This is why we cannot fully claim Pythagoras as the sole person who created the
Pythagorean theorem. Many people adding onto the Pythagorean theorem may be the reason why

the theorem is so popular.

The Pythagorean theorem is stated as, “the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum

of the squares of the other two sides [of a right-angled triangle]” (Saikia, 2013, p. 1). The

important thing to remember is that the Pythagorean theorem is only used when the triangle has a

right angle. The Pythagorean theorem is a2 + b2 =c2. The a and b are the two side lengths that

come together to make the right angle. The c stands for the hypotenuse or the longest side of the

right triangle. Side length c will always be the biggest length. Using this theorem, will help you

figure out the missing side length of a triangle. For example, if two side lengths are given on a

right triangle then you can use the Pythagorean theorem to help you figure out the side length

that is missing.

The Pythagorean theorem is one of the most well-known math topics in the world. The

formula is very easy to remember and the steps on how to solve the formula are very straight

forward. The Pythagorean theorem is a more complex topic in math but it can be introduced in

younger grades. This topic is very easy to understand when teachers and students are able to

apply it into their everyday lives. One of the best real-world examples of the Pythagorean

theorem is when a person is leaning a ladder against their house and they need to know how far

away to put their ladder from their house in order for the person to safely climb onto the roof.

This type of problem allows the student to solve a real problem they might face in their life;

these problems are great to teach kids because they are fun and they will remember them better.

Not only is it important to know the Pythagorean theorem, but it also great to learn about the

history of that theorem. When students are able to learn about the theorem, they are able to

connect to it easier and be more motivated to learn how to solve problems using that theorem.
 References

Saikia, M. P. (2013, October 22). The Pythagoras' Theorem. Retrieved February 5, 2019, from

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1310.0986.pdf