User:MichelleLittle
I am a second year transfer student from UBCO and I am working on getting my B.A. with a Major in Psychology, and after that a Master's in Physiotherapy.
The History of the Pythagorean Theorem
Named after the Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, the pythagorean theorem was one of the earliest mathematical insights known to ancient cultures. Although credited for other mathematical contributions, it is said that Pythagoras actually copied the hard work of some of his students at the Pythagorean School of Mathematics, the school Pythagoras founded, in Cortona, Italy. However, it could never be proven that Pythagoras actually did copy their work but sources state it was very likely.
The Pythagorean Theorem is an equation strictly for right angle triangles. The Pythagorean Theorem states that "the area of the square built upon the hypotenuse of a right angle triangle is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares upon the remaining sides" (Wilson, web).
Thus, the theorem algebraically looks like this:
a^2+b^2=c^2 --> where c is the length of the Hypotenuse.
The Pythagorean Theorem has many applications in real life.
For Example: An 8 ft ladder is leaning 4 ft from the base of a wall. How far up the wall is the top of the ladder?
The theorem can easily be reconfigured using simple algebra, to find the length of a side, not the hypotenuse, like the example question above. So, by reconfiguring the equation we get b= √(c^2- a^2 ) and then we plug in the numbers and easily formulate an answer.
As much as the credit for discovering the Pythagorean theorem is given to Pythagoras, there are many arguments stating the fact that the theorem may have actually pre-dated him all the way back to the Babylonians. Although Pythagoras was the first to grasp the concept of the theorem, the Egyptians and the Babylonians were quite advanced with their mathemathical insights and may have actually understood the formula as well. However, there is very little evidence from this time and thus the credit is still given to Pythagoras.
Curiously enough, there seems to be a skeptical theme of which scholars are questioning the origins of this theorem, and other mathematical contributions made by Pythagoras as belonging to others.
References:
http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emt669/student.folders/morris.stephanie/emt.669/essay.1/pythagorean.html