The Pythagoras theorem, which is also referred to as the
Pythagorean theorem, explains the relationship between the
three sides of a right-angled triangle. According to the
Pythagorean theorem, the square of the hypotenuse is equal
to the sum of the squares of the other two sides of a triangle.
The Pythagoras theorem states that if a triangle is a
right-angled triangle, then the square of the hypotenuse is
equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
Observe the following triangle ABC, in which we have BC2 =
AB2 + AC2.
, Pythagoras theorem
Here, AB is the base; AC is the altitude (height), and BC is the
hypotenuse. It is to be noted that the hypotenuse is the
longest side of a right-angled triangle.
The Pythagoras theorem equation is expressed as, c2 = a2
+ b2, where 'c' = hypotenuse of the right triangle and 'a' and
'b' are the other two legs. Hence, any triangle with one angle
equal to 90 degrees produces a Pythagoras triangle, and the
Pythagoras equation can be applied in the triangle.
Pythagoras theorem was introduced by the Greek
Mathematician Pythagoras of Samos. He was an ancient
Greek philosopher who formed a group of mathematicians
who worked religiously on numbers and lived like monks.
Although Pythagoras introduced the theorem, there is
evidence that proves that it existed in other civilizations too,
1000 years before Pythagoras was born. The oldest known
evidence is seen between the 20th to the 16th century B.C in
the Old Babylonian Period.
The Pythagorean theorem formula states that in a right
triangle ABC, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the
sum of the squares of the other two legs. If AB and AC are the
sides and BC is the hypotenuse of the triangle, then: BC2 =
AB2 + AC2 . In this case, AB is the base, AC is the altitude or
the height, and BC is the hypotenuse.