PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM IN BUSINESS

Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician known for formulating the Pythagorean Theorem.

He was also a philosopher who taught that numbers were the essence of all things. He
associated numbers with virtues, colors, music and other qualities. He also believed that the
human soul is immortal and after death it moves into another living being, sometimes
an animal.

Theorem

The principles of the Pythagorean Theorem had already been known before they were
formulated by Pythagoras. The Egyptians used a form of the Pythagorean Theorem to lay
out their fields and the Greeks borrowed it from the Egyptians. The theorem says that in a
right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two
sides.
A right triangle is a triangle where one angle equals 90 degrees and the hypotenuse is the
side opposite the right angle. If you know the values of two sides of a right triangle, you can
easily calculate the missing side.

In any right triangle, the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite
the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares whose sides are the two legs
(the two sides that meet at a right angle).
The theorem can be written as an equation relating the lengths of the sides a, b and c, often called
the Pythagorean equation.
a2 + b2 = c2
where c represents the length of the hypotenuse, and a and b represent the lengths of the other
two sides.

Pythagoras’ Life

Some scholars believe he was born on the island of Samos and that his father was either a
merchant of some kind or a lapidist. His mother’s name might have been Pythais. It is possible
that Pythagoras had a variety of teachers as a boy and a young man. Some of these teachers were
Greek and some might have been Egyptian or from the East. It is even said that he might have
been taught ethics by a woman called Themistoclea.
Around 529 BC, Pythagoras settled in Crotona, an Italian colony, and founded a school, or a
brotherhood, among the city’s aristocrats. They seemed to also have followed an ascetic lifestyle.
Some scholars believe that the school was actually a religious sect. Scholars still are not sure
whether Pythagoras left the city before the violence broke out, whether he survived it, or whether
he was himself killed during the uprising. It is likely that he Pythagoras died in Metapontum,
another Greek colony.

Uses of the Pythagorean Theorem in Different Fields of Business

Architecture and Construction

The theorem allows you to calculate the length of the diagonal connecting them. This
application is frequently used in architecture, woodworking, or other construction projects. For
instance, say you are building a sloped roof. If you know the height of the roof and the length
for it to cover, you can use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the diagonal length of the roof's
slope. You can use this information to cut properly sized beams to support the roof, or
calculate the area of the roof that you would need to shingle.

Laying Out Square Angles

The Theorem is also used in construction to make sure buildings are square. A triangle whose
side lengths correspond with the Theorem – such as a 3 foot by 4 foot by 5 foot triangle – will
always be a right triangle. When laying out a foundation, or constructing a square corner
between two walls, construction workers will set out a triangle from three strings that
correspond with these lengths. If the string lengths were measured correctly, the corner
opposite the triangle's hypotenuse will be a right angle, so the builders will know they are
constructing their walls or foundations on the right lines.

Navigation
The Theorem is useful for two-dimensional navigation. You can use it and two lengths to find
the shortest distance. For instance, if you are at sea and navigating to a point that is 300 miles
north and 400 miles west, you can use the theorem to find the distance from your ship to that
point and calculate how many degrees to the west of north you would need to follow to reach
that point. The distances north and west will be the two legs of the triangle, and the shortest
line connecting them will be the diagonal. The same principles can be used for air navigation.

Surveying

It is the process by which cartographers calculate the numerical distances and heights between
different points. Because terrain is often uneven, surveyors must find ways to take
measurements of distance in a systematic way. The Pythagorean Theorem is used to calculate
the steepness of slopes of hills or mountains. A surveyor looks through a telescope toward a
measuring stick a fixed distance away, so that the telescope's line of sight and the measuring
stick form a right angle. Now, he can then use the theorem to find the length of the slope that
covers that distance, and from that length, determine how steep it is.

Learnings

From the above information presented I have understood that Pythagoras was Greek
mathematician who coined the Pythagorean Theorem, which states that in any right-angle
triangle, the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the areas of
the square whose side are the two legs. (a2 + b2 = c2).

This theorem can be used in different fields of business as explained which consists of
navigation, surveying, architecture – construction etc.

While surfing through the internet for the information regarding the topic I also came across
these uses of the theorem in daily basis which are as follows;

• Painting on a Wall: Painters use ladders to paint on high buildings and often use the
help of Pythagoras’ theorem to complete their work. The painter needs to determine how tall a
ladder needs to be in order to safely place the base away from the wall so it won’t tip over.
• What Size TV Should You Buy: Tv size is always given in terms of diagonal? Suppose
a tv size is given 32 inch, then its size is actually the value of the diagonal or hypotenuse.

• Finding the Right Sized Computer: Monitor size is always is given as measure of
diagonal.

Hence Pythagorean theorem is essential for business as well as daily purposes of life.

References
https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/economics-business-and-labor/businesses-and-
occupations/pythagorean-theorem

https://betterexplained.com/articles/surprising-uses-of-the-pythagorean-theorem/

https://sciencing.com/real-life-uses-pythagorean-theorem-8247514.html