Kiera Dean 14436084

The Numerate Educator 314506

Assessment 3, Famous Mathematician
Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician and philosopher who became famous for the
Pythagorean Theorem. It was believed that Pythagoras lived from around 570 BC to 495
BC. Although this is what made Pythagoras famous, this theorem was being used long
before Pythagoras (Booker, Bond, Sparrow and Swan, 2010). Booker et. al. (2010) state
that Pythagoras developed the accumulated knowledge of shape, space and
measurement that had been acquired over centuries in Egypt and Babylon. (Booker et. al.,
2010, p.395), but Pythagoras proved that it was true (Liz Devlin, 2011). Observation of
stars and planets motions and measuring fields with rope stretchers were practical
activities that the ancient Egyptians carried out, and this is where the original idea
stemmed from as the Pythagorean Theorem (Booker et. al., 2010). Booker et. al. (2010)
states The Greeks turned it into an organised, logical and coherent system now known as
geometry. (Booker et. al., 2010, p.395). The word geometry is a Greek word geo
meaning earth, and metron, meaning a measure. (Booker et. al., 2010, p.395).

The principles of the Pythagorean Theorem is that the squares of the two legs labelled a
and b, which form the right angle, are equal to the square of the hypotenuse which is c,
the unknown number (Liz Devlin, 2011). Therefore, a2 + b2 = c2. Displayed in the picture
below, hypotenuse is the side labelled c. A right angled triangle is when two sides are
equal to 90 degrees.

For example, if a=3 and b=4, the sum would be

32 + 42 = c2
9 + 16 = c2
c2 = 25
25 = 5
c= 5

Kiera Dean 14436084

The Numerate Educator 314506
Assessment 3, Famous Mathematician
The Pythagorean Theorem is used today in art, building, mathematics, computer game
designs, online virtual world designs and many more.

Kiera Dean 14436084

The Numerate Educator 314506
Assessment 3, Famous Mathematician
References

Booker, G. Bond, D. Sparrow, L. Swan, P. (2010). Teaching primary mathematics: fourth

edition. NSW, Australia: Pearson Australia

Liz Devlin. (2011). A Brief History Pythagoras and His Theorem. [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdMXjJunb1o

Google images. (2014) Retrieved from

http://www.livius.org/a/1/greeks/pythagoras.JPG

[video file] Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku4rEwRxZOc