Pythagoras: The First Father of Mathematics

You must have heard of Pythagoras’s theorem, but only a few people know the merit of Pythagoras himself to modern mathematics.

Pythagoras And Maths

Pythagoras of Samos was an ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. Little was known about the early life of Pythagoras, but his brilliance and interest in mathematics didn’t come naturally.

There are three people who influenced Pythagoras’s journey in maths. Pherekydes, who was believed to be the teacher of Pythagoras, and two other philosophers who introduced him to mathematical ideas, namely Thales and Anaximander.

But unlike most people who are studying maths and solving particular problems in school, he took it to a new level. What Pythagoras and his fellow scholars did was never intended to formulate or solve any maths problem. Instead, Pythagoras was interested in the principles of maths itself, the concept of numbers, the concept of triangles and other mathematical figures, and the abstract idea of proof.

Pythagoras believed that all relations could be reduced to the relations of numbers.

The Pythagoras Theorem

The famous Pythagoras Theorem was found in an ancient Babylonian tablet dating back to 4000 B.C. But the relationship within the theorem was not explicit and publicly known until Pythagoras stated it.

Figure 1. Pythagoras Theorem Explanation

Pythagoras stated that:

“The area of the square built upon the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares upon the remaining sides.”

Hence, according to the Pythagoras Theorem, the sum of the areas of the two red squares, squares B and C, is equal to the area of the blue square, square A, hence (A²=B²+C²).

Conclusion

Pythagoras’s actual amount of achievement and contribution in maths is still unknown due to the secrecy and exclusivity of his circle. But all we have to know is that his contribution to modern mathematics has undoubtedly benefited our lives.