You are on page 1of 2

o

b
c
The Pythagorean Theorem
Mathematical Reasoning

Theorem (Pythagorean Theorem): The sum of the squared lengths of the two legs of a right
triangle is equal to the square of its hypotenuse.
o
2
+b
2
= c
2





Informal Reasoning:









(o +b)
2
= c
2
+ 4 [
1
2
o b
o
2
+b
2
+ 2 o b = c
2
+ 2 o b
o
2
+b
2
= c
2

In other words, the area of the whole square with side length (o + b) is equal to the area of the 4
triangles and the smaller square with side length c. This gives us a relationship between the two
legs, o and b and the hypotenusec.


Formal Reasoning: (Euclids Proof)

Let ABC be a triangle with one right angle, namely angle BAC. Then the square of BC is equal
to the sum of the squares of BA and AC.
Let there be a square BDEC that shares side BC with triangle ABC, and similarly squares BAGF
and ACKH sharing sides BA and AC respectively.
Now create a line AL through point A that is parallel to BD and CE, and join points A and D
with line AD, and similarly create line FC.
Since each of the angles BAC and BAG is right, it follows that with a straight line BA, and at the
point A on it, the two straight lines AC and AG are not laying on the same side make the
adjacent angles equal to two right angles, therefore CA is in a straight line with AG.
Similarly BA is also on the same line as AH.
Since angle DBC and FBA are both right, therefore equal. Add angle ABC to both, so that the
angles DBA and FBC are equal as well.
Since DB equals BC, and FB equals BA, the two sides AB and BD equal the sides FB and BC
respectively. The angle ABD and FBC are also equal, so the base AD equals the base FC and the
triangle ABD is equal to the triangle FBC.
Now the parallelogram BL is double the triangle ABD, fo r they have the same base BD and are
in the same parallels namely BD and AL. The square BAGF is double the triangle FBC for they
again have the same base, FB, and are in the same parallels FB and GC.
Therefore the parallelogram BL also equals the square BAGF.
Applying a similar argument will show that lines AE and BK are joined, and the parallelograms
CL and HC are equal. Therefore the whole square BDEC equals the sum of the squares BAGF
and ACKH.
Since the square BDEC is described by BC and the squares BAGF and ACKH describe BA and
AC, respectively.
Thus the square of BC equals the sum of the squares on BA and AC.
Therefore the sum of squared legs of a right triangle equals the square of the hypotenuse.

You might also like