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Pythagoras

Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician born around 572 BC who is best known for the Pythagorean theorem. He traveled extensively in his youth to study mathematics in Egypt and Babylon before settling in Croton, Italy where he founded a secretive brotherhood known as the Pythagoreans. The document discusses Pythagoras' biography and the history of the Pythagorean theorem, including different proofs like the Euclidean and Indian proofs. It also describes how the theorem is taught using technology and a board game designed to reinforce the concept.

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Jaymark Jareta
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203 views

Pythagoras

Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician born around 572 BC who is best known for the Pythagorean theorem. He traveled extensively in his youth to study mathematics in Egypt and Babylon before settling in Croton, Italy where he founded a secretive brotherhood known as the Pythagoreans. The document discusses Pythagoras' biography and the history of the Pythagorean theorem, including different proofs like the Euclidean and Indian proofs. It also describes how the theorem is taught using technology and a board game designed to reinforce the concept.

Uploaded by

Jaymark Jareta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pythagoras and

the Pythagorean
Theorem
Grade 8-9 Lesson
By Lindsay Kallish
Biography of Pythagoras
•Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician and a
philosopher, but was best known for his
Pythagorean Theorem.

•He was born around 572 B.C. on the island of


Samos.

• For about 22 years, Pythagoras spent time


traveling though Egypt and Babylonia to educate
himself.

•At about 530 B.C., he settled in a Greek town in


southern Italy called Crotona.

•Pythagoras formed a brotherhood that was an


exclusive society devoted to moral, political and
social life. This society was known as Pythagoreans.
Biography of Pythagoras
• The Pythagorean School excelled in many
subjects, such as music, medicine and
mathematics.

• In the society, members were known as


mathematikoi.

• History tells us that this theorem has been


introduced through drawings, texts,
legends, and stories from Babylon, Egypt,
and China, dating back to 1800-1500 B.C.

• Unfortunately, no one is sure who the true


founder of the Pythagorean Theorem is.
But it does seem certain through many
history books that some time in the sixth
century B.C., Pythagoras derives a proof
for the Pythagorean Theorem.
Venn Diagram Homework
Assignment
• http://www.arcytech.org/java/pythagoras/history.html
• http://www-groups.dcs.st-
and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Pythagoras.html

1st Website

2nd Website
Can Any Three Numbers Make A
Triangle????
Side lengths (cm) Area of square (cm²) Sum of the Sum of the areas Angle name of
areas of of smaller the triangle
smaller squares (cm²)
squares (cm²)

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5


a b c a² b² c² a² + b² a² +b² ? c² Acute, right,
(>,<,=) obtuse

3 5 7 9 25 49 34 < obtuse

3 4 5 9 16 25 25 = right

Write a sentence to describe the relationship between the sum of the areas
of smaller and middle size squares compared to the area of the largest
squares for:

1) An acute triangle 2) A right triangle 3) An obtuse triangle


The Pythagorean
Theorem
• The sum of the squares of
each leg of a right angled
triangle equals to the
square of the hypotenuse

a² + b² = c²
Many Proofs of the
Pythagorean Theorem
Euclidean Proof
• First of all, ΔABF = ΔAEC by SAS. This is because,
AE = AB, AF = AC, and
BAF = BAC + CAF = CAB + BAE = CAE.
• ΔABF has base AF and the altitude from B equal
to AC. Its area therefore equals half that of
square on the side AC.
• On the other hand, ΔAEC has AE and the
altitude from C equal to AM, where M is the
point of intersection of AB with the line CL
parallel to AE.
• Thus the area of ΔAEC equals half that of the
rectangle AELM. Which says that the area AC²
of the square on side AC equals the area of the
rectangle AELM.
• Similarly, the are BC² of the square on side BC
equals that of rectangle BMLD. Finally, the two
rectangles AELM and BMLD make up the
square on the hypotenuse AB.
• QED
• http://www.sunsite.ubc.ca/LivingMathematics/V001N0
1/UBCExamples/Pythagoras/pythagoras.html
Many Proofs of the
Pythagorean Theorem
Indian Proof
• Area of the original square is A = c²

• Looking at the first figure, the area of


the large triangles is 4 (1/2)ab

• The area of the inner square is (b-a) ²

• Therefore the area of the original


square is A=4(1/2)ab + (b-a) ²

• This equation can be worked out as


2ab + b² - 2ab + a² = b² + a²

• Since the square has the same area no


matter how you find it, we conclude
that
A = c² = a² + b²
Many Proofs of the
Pythagorean Theorem
• Throughout many texts, there are about
400 possible proofs of the Pythagorean
Theorem known today.

• It is not a wonder that there is an


abundance of proofs due to the fact that
there are numerous claims of different
authors to this significant geometric
formula.

• Specifically looking at the Pythagorean


Theorem, this unique mathematical
discovery proves that there is a limitless
amount of possibilities of algebraic and
geometric associations with the single
theorem.

• http://www.cut-the-
knot.org/pythagoras/index.shtml
Connection to Technology
• Geometer’s SketchPad
– Students can see the
Pythagorean Theorem work
using special triangles with
45-45-90 degree angles and
30-60-90 degree angles
Pythagoras Board Game
Rules:
• To begin, roll 2 dice. The person with the highest sum
goes first.

• To move on the board, roll both dice. Substitute the


numbers on the dice into the Pythagorean Theorem
for the lengths of the legs to find the value of the
length of the hypotenuse.

• Using the Pythagorean Theorem a²+b²=c², a player


moves around the board a distance that is the integral
part of c.

• For example, if a 1 and a 2 were rolled, 1²+2²=c²;


1+4=c²; 5=c²; Since c = √5 or approximately 2.236, the
play moves two spaces. Always round the value down.

• When the player lands on a ‘?’ space, a question card


is drawn. If the player answers the question correctly,
he or she can roll one die and advance the resulting
number of places.

• Each player must go around the board twice to


complete the game. A play must answer a ‘?’ card
correctly to complete the game and become a
Pythagorean
Pythagoras Board Game
What are the If you hiked 3 The square of the Find the missing
lengths of the legs km west and the ______ of a right member of the
of a 30-60-90 4 km north, how triangle equals Pythagorean triple
degree triangle far are you from the sum of the (7, __,, 25).
with a hypotenuse your starting squared of the Answer: 24
of length 10? point? lengths of the two
Answer: 5 and 5√3 Answer: 5 km legs.
Answer:
hypotenuse
What is the length Using a²+b²=c, True or false? Have the person to
of the legs in a 45- find b if c = 10 Pythagoras lives your left pick two
45-90 degree right and a = 6 circa A.D. 500 numbers for the legs
triangle with Answer: b=8² Answer: false (500 of a right triangle.
hypotenuse of B.C.) Compute the
length √2? hypotenuse
Answer: 1
Can an isosceles Pythagoras was Is (7, 8, 11) a How do you spell
triangle be a right of what Pythagorean Pythagoras?
triangle? nationality? triple?
Answer: yes Answer: Greek Answer: no
The Pythagorean What is the True or false? True or false?
Theorem is name of the Pythagoras Pythagoras
applicable for what school that considered formulated the only
type of triangle? Pythagoras number to be the proof of the
Answer: a right founded? basis of creation? Pythagorean
triangle Answer: The Answer: true Theorem?
Pythagorean Answer: false (there
School are about 400
possible proofs)
References:
DeLacy, E. A. (1963). Euclid and geometry
(2nd ed.). USA: Franklin Watts, Inc.
Ericksen, D., Stasiuk, J., & Frank, M. (1995).
Bringing pythagoras to life. The
Mathematics Teacher, 88(9), 744.
Gow, J. (1968). A short story of greek
mathematics. New York: Chelsea
Publishing Company.
Katz, V. (1993). A history of mathematics (2nd
ed.). USA: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.
Swetz, F. J., & Kao, T. I. (1977). Was
pythagoras chinese? an examination of
right triangle theory in ancient china. USA:
The Pennsylvania State University.
Veljan, D. (2000). The 2500-year-old
pythagorean theorem. Mathematics
Magazine, 73(4), 259.

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