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The Pythagorean Theorem: The Story of Its Power and Beauty, by Alfred S.
Posamentier

Article in Journal of Mathematics and the Arts · September 2011

DOI: 10.1080/17513472.2011.580664

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Review of: The Pythagorean Theorem: The Story of Its Power and Beauty by Alfred S.
Posamentier (2010 Prometheus Books, Amherst NY)

Richard J. Krantz, Ph.D.

Professor of Physics
Metropolitan State College of Denver
Denver, CO 80204

krantzr@mscd.edu

In the introduction the author states, “. . ., this famous theorem which we clearly associate with
geometry, is also the basis for the field of trigonometry and finds its way into countless other
areas, such as art, music, architecture, and various fields of mathematics – principally the study
of numbers. How did this relationship evolve? Why has this relationship fascinated
innumerable generations? Who was this colorful and controversial man named Pythagoras?
These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that we will consider in this expansive survey of
the most popular mathematical relationship.” Expansive, yes; as the 21 demonstrations (proofs)
of the Pythagorean Theorem in Chapter 2 attest to, but just the tip-of-the-iceberg considering that
more than 500 proofs have been published to date, including one by US President James
Garfield. This book is full of gems like these, especially in the Introduction and first chapter
“Pythagoras and His Famous Theorem.” The casual reader will appreciate the Introduction,
Chapter 1: “Pythagoras and His Famous Theorem”, Chapter 6: “Tuning Soul: Pythagoras and
Music” contributed by Dr. Chadwick Jenkins (City College of the City University of New York),
and Chapter 7: “The Pythagorean Theorem in Fractal Art” contributed by Drs. Ana Lucia B.
Dias and Lisa DeMeyer (Central Michigan University). These chapters are more historical and
far less technical than others. The amateur mathematician will fine more technical fare
elsewhere in the book.

Chapter 2, “Proving the Pythagorean Theorem without (Many) Words” containing the 21 proofs
will be most appreciated by the amateur mathematician and, possibly, interested professional.
The casual reader might find some interesting demonstrations, but will no doubt tire after the
first 5 or 6. I would suggest that the casual reader browse the demonstrations of Chapter 2
picking a handful of interesting ones to spend some time over and then moving on.

Personally, I found Chapter 3: “Applications of the Pythagorean Theorem” and Chapter 5: “The
Pythagorean Means” the most interesting. Particularly Chapter 5, as the reader might guess,
because of the application of all three Pythagorean means in physics. I was particularly
fascinated by the sections “Constructing Irrational-Number Lengths” and “The Lunes and the
Triangle” in Chapter 3. The first, because, as the author notes, “The Pythagorean Theorem led

Review of: The Pythagorean Theorem: The Story of Its Power and Beauty - 1
 ancient mathematicians to a dilemma, namely, irrational numbers . . .” and the second, because a
lune is a crescent formed by two circular arcs, which necessarily involves when finding areas,
but whose area can be associated with the area of rectangles using the Pythagorean Theorem.
Another gem from my perspective!

I found Chapter 4 “Pythagorean Triples and Their Properties” the least interesting of all the
technical chapters and cannot imagine that this would interest the casual reader although some of
the so-called curiosities listed will engage the serious amateur.

A quibble about the Afterword, titled, “About the Mathematics Work That Led to the 1985
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Thanks Ultimately to Pythagoras” contributed by Dr. Herbert A.
Hauptman. I found the Afterword preachy and tenuously connected to the subject and tone of
the rest of the book. This three page essay (diatribe?) could easily be left out of the book and is
not worth reading.

It is hard to recommend this book as worthy or not to the readership of JMA as the book is hard
to characterize for our audience. The casual reader, with little mathematics background, will
find interesting facts and historical material but will no doubt get bogged down in much of the
technical details even though those details are explicitly written out in the demonstrations and
proofs. But, if one were inclined, much could be learned about mathematics by following these
details. There is much, in the book, for the serious amateur mathematician to appreciate. But, if
one is interested in, even, a semi-technical introduction to mathematical music theory or
mathematics in the visual arts you will be disappointed.

For the most part, I found the book delightful and worth reading, but would caution that it is not
a mathematics book for the artist (too much technical detail) nor is it an art/music book for the
mathematically inclined (too little material and not nearly technical enough). This is clearly a
book about the Pythagorean Theorem. If this is where your interest lies it is a good read. If you
are interested, solely, in mathematics in the arts, your best bet is to skip it.

Review of: The Pythagorean Theorem: The Story of Its Power and Beauty - 2

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