INVESTIGATION

REPORT
PYTHAGOREAN TRIADS

Casia Devira Yuela

8 Pacific

Please use the Assessment Grid on the following page to help you
understand what is required for this Investigation.

A Pythagorean triad is a set of three numbers that obey

Pythagoras Theorem.
If 52 + 122 =132, then (5,12,13) is a Pythagorean triad.
1. Use algebra to show that 3x, 4x, 5x is a Pythagorean triad.
Use this result to complete the table below.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

b
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30

c
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
40

5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50

(3x) 2 + (4x) 2= 9x2+16x2

= 25x2
(5x) 2= 25x2
(3x) 2 + (4x) 2= (5x) 2
This means [3x, 4x, 5x] is a Pythagorean triad
2. This table shows a special set of Pythagorean triads.
a. Can you complete the next three lines of the table
b. The numbers in the able can be found using the
formula 2n+1,2n2+2n, 2n2+2n+1
Use this formula to find the triads starting with:
I. 27
II. 51
III. 101
a
1
2
3
4
5

b
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
18

c
4
12
24
40
60
84
112
144
180

5
13
25
41
61
85
113
145
181

6
7
8
9
10

19

220

221

I.
27
Order number= 14
2(14)+1= 27
2(14)2+2(14)= 420
2(14)2+2(14)+1= (421)
So the Pythagoras triad is [27, 420, 421]
II.
51
Order number= 25
2(25)2+1= 51
2(25)2+2(25)= 1300
2(25)2+2(25)+1= 1301
So the Pythagoras triad is [51, 1300, 1301]
III. 101
Order number = 50
2(50)+1= 101
2(50)2+2(50)= 5100
2(50)2+2(50)+1= 5101
So the Pythagoras triad is [101, 5100, 5101]

There are many Pythagorean triads but often they are hard to
figure out. Of course, you can make more triads by simply
multiplying an existing one by constant, such as:
{3, 4, 5} x 2 = {6, 8, 10}
The formula below, however, turns out triads by substituting
odd numbers, starting at 3, for n.

2
Means plus
or minus

=5

Formula: n, n2-1, n2+1

n= 3
If we put in 3 we get

=4

The triad is {3, 4, 5}.

If we put in 11 we get

= 61

= 61

Check!
112+602= 612
121+3600= 3721
Now 612= 3721
So 112+602=612
The triad is {11,60,61}
1. 3, 4, 5
2. 7, 25, 26
3. 11, 60, 61
4. 15, 113, 112
5. 19, 181, 180
6. 23, 265, 264
7. 27, 365, 364
8. 31, 481, 480
9. 35, 613, 612
10.
39, 761, 760

= 60

3. Substitute further odd numbers for n and turn out some

triads. Check that they actually work by testing them with
Pythagoras Theorem.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

{3, 4, 5}
{5, 13, 14}
{11, 60, 61}
{13, 85, 86}
{15, 113, 114}

4. Make a list of Pythagorean triads that are made up of three

numbers, which are all less than 100.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

{8, 15, 17}

{12, 35, 37}
{16, 63, 65}
{20, 21, 29}
{27, 45, 53}

ANOTHER METHOD TO FIND PYTHAGORAS!

Thus, for the set of integers k, the triplets {2k+1, 2k(k+1),
2k(k+1)+1} will include all triplets with a difference of 1 between
the second and third numbers.
For example:
k= 1
2(1)+1= 3
2(1)(1+1)= 4
2(1)(1+1)+1= 5
So {3, 4, 5} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 2
2(2)+1= 5
2(2)(2+1)= 12
2(2)(2+1)+1 = 13
So {5, 12, 13} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 3
2(3)+1= 7
2(3)(3+1)= 24
2(3)(3+1)+1 = 25
So {7, 24, 25} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 4

2(4)+1= 9
2(4)(4+1)= 40
2(4)(4+1)+1 = 41
So {9, 40, 41} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 5
2(5)+1= 11
2(5)(5+1)= 60
2(5)(5+1)+1 = 61
So {11, 60, 61} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 6
2(6)+1= 13
2(6)(6+1)= 84
2(6)(6+1)+1 = 85
So {13, 84, 85} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 7
2(7)+1= 15
2(7)(7+1)= 112
2(7)(7+1)+1 = 113
So {15, 112, 113} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 8
2(8)+1= 17
2(8)(8+1)= 144
2(7)(7+1)+1 = 145
So {17, 144, 145} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 9
2(9)+1= 19
2(9)(9+1)= 180
2(9)(9+1)+1 = 181
So {19, 180, 181} is Pythagorean triad.
k= 10
2(10)+1= 21
2(10)(10+1)= 220
2(10)(10+1)+1 = 221
So {21, 220, 221} is Pythagorean triad.