What is the Pythagorean theory?

Answer 1

The Pythagorean Theorem states that given a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the two legs.

Answer 2

Well, the mathematics of the theory has already been answered by others. What about the theory's origin?

I am reproducing a passage from a book [The Rozabal Line, Shawn Haigins] which goes thus:

Baudhayana, the great Indian sage, was sitting in the forest attempting to figure out the right dimensions for the holy fire. The fire would burn inside a specially constructed square altar. Into this fire would be poured milk, curds, honey, clarified butter, flowers, grain, and holy water as offerings to the gods. He was attempting to figure out the resultant effect on the area of the altar as a result of changes in the dimensions of the square. His mind was calm, but one could almost hear the humming of the machinery inside his head. Yes! He had it. He wrote carefully, “The rope which is stretched along the length of the diagonal of a rectangle produces an area which the vertical and horizontal sides make together.” Around 250 years later, a mathematician and philosopher from the Greek island of Samos, would further revise the theory propounded by Baudhayana. He would write the Pythagorean Theorum as: “The square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the sides.”

Hope this helps have an understanding of not just the mechanics but also the history.

Answer 3

The Pythagorean Theory says:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2

This only works with right triangles. The "C" is always the hypotenuse (the diagonal line without a right angle). I think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Answer 4

a^2+b^2=c^2

It's used to find the length of the sides of a right triangle. Visit the website below for pictures of which side is a, b and c.

And it's the pythagorean theorem by the way.

Answer 5

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

Answer 6

A^2 + B^2 = C^2

^2 means to the 2nd power if you didn't know

Answer 7

c² = a² + b²

is a formula applied only to right triangle. Given the three sides; c as the hypotenuse and the other two legs a & b.