The+Man,+The+Myth,+The+Legend,+Pythagoras

Pythagoras....was he //really// that cool? I know everyone is dying to know where the Pythagorean Theorem came from. Lucky for us, a guy named Pythagoras was born roughly around the year 570 B.C. He grew up to become a Greek philosopher in the city of Croton in Southern Italy around 532 B.C. Since he lived so long ago, there obviously weren't cameras around then but here is a rough sketch.



He was known in his time for his many different contributions into the world's religions and study of mathematics. While living in the city of Croton, he formed a religious sect which was viewed as a religious brotherhood, a political association, and a philosophical school. Although this group was eventually stamped out by its enemies, they were known as a group that was obsessed with mathematical properties and believed mathematical principles were the basis of all things. He is mainly known for his Pythagorean Theorem which obviously bears his name.



He is also known for the idea that the sum of the angles of a triangle add up to be two right angles. He was one of the first people to teach that the world was a sphere. He also was credited with the discovery of the 5 main solids ( tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, icosahedron, dodecahedron). Outside of his work in mathematics, Pythagoras also had great discoveries in music and religion. He is know for discovering that musical notes could be translated into mathematical equations. He is also credited with the Tetractys which is a triangle figure of four rows, which adds up to the perfect number ten.



Although he is known for his many different discoveries, he also is known for leaving behind his way of life. He believed that all things were numbers and that everything had a basis in mathematics with geometry being the highest form of understanding. He taught that the natural would could be explored through math. He had his followers known as the Pythagoreans and created his own religious sector. He was a beneficial figure to the philosophical work of those following him such as Plato.

To find out more about Pythagoras or the his theorem, visit our teacher resources! (DeLacy, E. and Douglass, C.)

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