What Is a primitive triple?

Answer 1

This most likely refers to primitive Pythagorean triples. Pythagorean triples are sets of three integers that could form the sides of a right triangle (work out in the Pythagorean theorem a^2+b^2=c^2). For example 3,4,5 is a Pythagorean triple because 3^2+4^2=5^2 (9+16=25).

In a "primitive" Pythagorean triple, all the numbers are relatively prime, which means they have no common factors. So 3,4,5 is a primitive Pythagorean triple, but 6,8,10 isn't because 2 divides into all the numbers.