Pythagoras..

Pythagoras of Samos (c. 570–495 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher and
mathematician, best known for the Pythagorean Theorem. However, much of his
life is shrouded in mystery, and historical records about him are a mix of fact and
legend.

Birthplace

Pythagoras was born around 570 BCE on the island of Samos, which was part of
ancient Ionia (now in modern-day Greece). His father was Mnesarchus, who was
reportedly a merchant or gem engraver, and his mother was Pythais, a native of
Samos.

Some legends claim that Pythagoras’ birth was predicted by the Oracle of Delphi,
suggesting he was destined for greatness. He may have had noble ancestry, and
his family was well-off, allowing him to travel and study extensively in his youth

Pythagoras: A Deeper Look into His Life and Influence

Pythagoras of Samos (c. 570–495 BCE) was a Greek philosopher, mathematician,

and mystic. Though much of his life is surrounded by legends, his influence on
mathematics, philosophy, and mysticism is undeniable.

Early Life and Education

Born on the island of Samos, Greece, around 570 BCE.

His father, Mnesarchus, was a merchant or gem engraver, and his mother, Pythais,
was a native of Samos.

He was influenced by Thales of Miletus and Anaximander, who introduced him to

mathematics and philosophy.

Traveled widely, possibly to Egypt, Babylon, and India, where he studied geometry,
astronomy, and religious traditions.

Pythagorean School and Teachings

Around 530 BCE, he moved to Croton (Southern Italy) and founded a school that
was part philosophical society, part religious order.

The school followed strict rules, including vegetarianism, secrecy, and communal
living.

His followers, known as Pythagoreans, were divided into:

Mathematikoi (inner circle, who studied philosophy and mathematics).

Akousmatikoi (outer circle, who followed moral and religious teachings).

Contributions to Mathematics

Pythagorean Theorem: (though it was known in Babylon earlier, Pythagoras may

have formalized it).

Pythagorean Triples: Sets of numbers that satisfy the theorem (e.g., 3,4,5 and
5,12,13).

Number Theory: Studied properties of odd, even, prime, and perfect numbers.

Geometric Discoveries: Explored the Golden Ratio and Platonic solids.

Contributions to Music

Discovered that musical harmony is based on mathematical ratios.

Showed that the length of a vibrating string determines pitch, laying the foundation
for music theory.

Developed a system linking mathematics, music, and cosmology (the “harmony of

the spheres”).

Philosophy and Mysticism

Believed that numbers govern the universe.

Introduced the concept of the soul’s transmigration (reincarnation).

Promoted ethical living, self-discipline, and purification.

Saw mathematics as a spiritual discipline that could help understand the divine.

Political Conflicts and Death

His influence grew in Croton, but his political involvement led to opposition.
Some sources say his school was attacked, and he fled to Metapontum, where he
died around 495 BCE.

Others claim he was killed in a revolt, while some say he starved himself after his
school was destroyed.

Legacy and Influence

Inspired Plato and Aristotle, shaping Western philosophy.

Influenced Euclid’s Elements, which built on Pythagorean geometry.

His ideas on numbers and harmony influenced later science and mathematics.

The Pythagorean tradition continued through later thinkers like Philolaus and
Archytas.

Despite the myths surrounding him, Pythagoras remains one of the most
influential figures in history, with his mathematical and philosophical ideas still
relevant today.
Reason why Pythagoras Didn’t write books

There are no surviving written works that can be definitively attributed to

Pythagoras himself. Unlike later philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle,
Pythagoras left no written records, and much of what we know about him comes
from his followers (the Pythagoreans) and later ancient writers.

1. Oral Tradition: His teachings were passed down orally among his followers.

2. Secretive Society: The Pythagoreans followed strict rules of secrecy,

meaning much of their knowledge was not written down.

3. Attributions by Later Writers: Many later thinkers, like Philolaus (5 th century

BCE) and Iamblichus (3 rd century CE), wrote about Pythagorean ideas, but
their works were written much later.
Books Attributed to Pythagoreans

Although Pythagoras himself did not write books, some later Pythagoreans are
believed to have written texts that contained his teachings:

1. Philolaus (c. 470–385 BCE) – Wrote about Pythagorean cosmology and

number theory. Some fragments of his work survive.

2. Archytas of Tarentum (5 th century BCE) – Wrote on mathematics and music

theory, expanding on Pythagorean ideas.

3. The “Golden Verses” – A collection of moral and philosophical aphorisms,

traditionally attributed to Pythagoras but likely written later by his followers.

Main Ideas Preserved in Later Texts:

Mathematical Concepts: Geometry, number theory, and the famous Pythagorean

Theorem.

Music and Harmony: The idea that musical harmony is based on mathematical
ratios.
Philosophy and Ethics: The belief in reincarnation, purity, and self-discipline.

Cosmology: The notion that the universe is governed by numerical relationships.

Achievements

Pythagoras made significant contributions to mathematics, philosophy, music, and

science. Though many of his achievements were likely the work of his followers, he is
credited with the following:

1. Mathematics

Pythagorean Theorem: The most famous theorem in geometry, stating that in a right-angled
triangle, a² + b² = c².

Number Theory: Pythagoras and his followers studied odd and even numbers, triangular
numbers, and perfect numbers.

Irrational Numbers: The discovery that some numbers, like √2, could not be expressed as
fractions (though this contradicted Pythagorean beliefs in whole numbers).

2. Music and Harmony

Discovered that musical harmony is based on mathematical ratios.

Found that dividing a string in certain ratios (e.g., 1:2 for an octave, 2:3 for a perfect fifth)
creates harmonious sounds.

Established the connection between music and mathematics, influencing later theories in
acoustics.

3. Philosophy and Cosmology

Believed that numbers are the fundamental reality of the universe.

Introduced the idea of the harmony of the spheres, suggesting that celestial bodies
produce music as they move in space.

Influenced Plato and later philosophers in their theories about the soul and the universe.

4. Mysticism and Religion

Founded the Pythagorean Brotherhood, a religious and philosophical community that

followed strict ethical rules, including vegetarianism and secrecy.

Taught reincarnation (metempsychosis), believing that the soul is immortal and moves
from body to body.
Advocated for self-discipline, purity, and harmony in life.

5. Influence on Later Thinkers

Inspired Plato, whose ideas on numbers and reality were influenced by Pythagorean
thought.

Influenced Euclidean geometry and Western mathematics.

His mathematical and musical discoveries laid the foundation for modern science and
acoustics.

Even though some of these achievements were likely developed by his followers,
Pythagoras’ influence on philosophy, mathematics, and science remains profound.

What is the Pythagorean Theorem?

Thousands of years ago, a Greek philosopher named Pythagoras discovered a formula to
help us solve the lengths of a right triangle. It’s called the Pythagorean theorem — let’s
learn more!

The Doodle Star; a yellow star with two white eyes and a smiling white mouth

Author

Lucy Hart
The Pythagorean theorem formula is a² + b² = c².

It only works for right triangles.

To solve the Pythagorean theorem, we need to know the lengths of at least two sides of a
right triangle.

The Pythagorean theorem formula can be used to find the length of the shorter sides of a
right triangle or the longest side, called the hypotenuse.

Pythagorean theorem formula

How to use it

Practice problems

Over 2,000 years ago, a Greek philosopher called Pythagoras created a very famous
theorem about triangles. It lets you work out the length of any side in a right-angled
triangle!

What is the Pythagorean theorem?

A graphic of colorful right triangles

The Pythagorean theorem states:

“In a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares
of the two shorter sides.”

This may sound a bit complicated, but it makes a lot more sense when we look at what it’s
saying in the form of a picture:

Graphic demonstrating the pythagorean theorem with a right triangle

When squares are drawn along each side in a right triangle, the total area of the two smaller
squares (those along the shortest sides, a and b) is the same as the area of the largest
square (the square along the longest side, c).

By working out the area of each square, we can find the length of any side in a right triangle.
And luckily, Pythagoras created a handy formula to help us do.

Pythagorean theorem formula

The formula for Pythagoras’ theorem is a² + b² = c².

A graphic of the pythagorean theorem formula: a squared + b squared = c squared

In this equation, “C” represents the longest side of a right triangle, called the hypotenuse.
“A” and “B” represent the other two sides of the triangle.

An orange right-angled triangle showing Pythagores’ theorem, with the letters a, b and c on
the three sides of the triangle

To use the Pythagorean theorem formula, we need to know the length of any two sides in a
right triangle. We can then rearrange the formula to find the side we’re looking for.

So, if we take the formula:

A² + b² = c²

We can rearrange it to help us find the length we’re missing:

To find the length of Side A: a² = c² – b²

To find the length of Side B: b² = c² – a²

To find the length of Side C: c² = a² + b²

This may sound complicated, but don’t worry! It’s easy to use once you know how. Let’s
take a look at some examples.

How to use the Pythagorean theorem

Now that we know the Pythagorean theorem formula is, let’s talk about what we can use it
for. The Pythagorean theorem can be used to solve for the hypotenuse or the shorter sides
of a right triangle.

Finding the hypotenuse of a triangle

If we don’t know the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle (aka the longest side), we
can work it out using Pythagoras’ theorem. The hypotenuse is represented by c in the
Pythagorean theorem formula: a² + b² = c². By plugging in the given values of Side A and
Side B, we can solve for the hypotenuse — Side C!

In the example below, solve for Side C.

A pink right triangle demonstrating how to solve for the hypotenuse using the pythagorean
theorem

To start, we can flip the Pythagorean theorem equation to make it easier to read:

A² + b² = c² becomes c² = a² + b²
Next, plug the values of Side A and Side B into the equation since they are given. Side A =
4cm and Side B = 3cm. This gives us:

C² = 4² + 3²

Square Sides A and B to get:

C² = 16 + 9

Add 16 and 9 solve for a²:

C² = 25

Now we’re in the final stretch. We just need to find the square root of 25 to find the length of
the hypotenuse (Side C)!

C² = √25

Therefore, the length of Side C = 5cm.

Finding the short side of a right triangle

We can also use Pythagoras’ theorem when we don’t know the length of one of the shorter
sides of a right triangle.

We can rearrange the formula to help us find the side we don’t know. For example:

If we don’t know Side A: a² = c² – b²

If we don’t know Side B: b² = c² – a²

Let’s practise! In the example below, solve for Side A.

A green right triangle demonstrating how to solve for the shorter side of the triangle using
the pythagorean theorem

To work out the length of Side A, start by rearranging the formula to become:

A² = c² – b²

Next, plug in the values of Side C and Side B. (Remember: Side C is the hypotenuse!)

A² = 5² – 3²

Square Sides B and C to get:

A² = 25 – 9

Subtract 9 from 25 to solve for a²:

A² = 16

Now we’re nearly there! If we find the square root of 16, we’ll have our answer.

A = √16

Therefore, Side A = 4cm.