TOPICS: What Is the Pythagorean Theorem About

The study of the Pythagorean Theorem was done thanks to the Pythagorean School, a sect made up of individuals from the 6^th century BC with vast knowledge in mathematics, astronomy and philosophy, whose main believe was that everything that surrounds us is related to numbers in some way. Pythagoras of Samos was the leader of the Pythagorean School, who gives his name to both the school and its members who were known as Pythagoreans. Although there are no surviving writings by Pythagoras himself, he is attributed with a series of advances, including one that stands out: the discovery of the Pythagorean Theorem.

The Pythagorean Theorem is primarily about the relationship that exists between the sides of a right triangle; this relationship states that the hypotenuse squared is equal to the sum of the squares of both legs, that is:

(hypotenuse)^2 = (leg 1)^2 + (leg 2)^2

Where:

Hypotenuse: The side that is opposite the right angle formed by the other two sides; it is present only in right triangles. Without exception, it is the longest of the three sides that form a right triangle.

Leg: Each of the two sides of a right triangle that form the right angle; in general they are smaller than the hypotenuse.

The Pythagorean Theorem is one of the basic formulas in mathematics and its applications have helped mankind survive for centuries. Learning this theorem won’t be very complicated if we have some basic knowledge of math. Don’t forget that you can visit our exercises section where you’ll find a huge number of examples that apply the Pythagorean Theorem and that you can use to reinforce your knowledge about this important mathematical theorem.