Pythagorean theorem

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Named after Pythagoras (from Ancient Greek Πυθαγόρας (Puthagóras)), the Greek mathematician and philosopher who by tradition is credited with the theorem’s discovery and proof.

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

the Pythagorean theorem

  1. (geometry) A mathematical theorem which states that the square of the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of those of the two other sides.
    Synonyms: Baudhayana theorem, Gougu theorem
    The Pythagorean theorem only applies to right triangles.
  2. (functional analysis) A generalization of the Pythagorean theorem for Euclidean triangles to Hilbert spaces.

Derived terms

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