Long after mathematics started out in Babylon and Egypt, the historical knowledge about the subject came into the grandeur of Greece.

         

          Ancient mathematics has reached the modern world largely through the work of Greeks during its classical period, building on the Babylonian tradition. A leading figure among the early Greek mathematicians is Pythagoras. 

                At around 529 BC, Pythagoras moved from Greece to a Greek colony at Crotona, in the heel of Italy. There he established a philosophical sect based on the belief that numbers are the underlying and unchangeable truth of the universe. He and his followers soon made precisely some sort of discoveries to reinforce this numerical faith which became established standard in the present times. 

          The Pythagoreans exemplified the presentation that musical notes vary in accordance with the length of a vibrating string; whatever length of string a lute player starts with when it is doubled, the note will always falls by exactly an octave. As of now, it still is the standard basis of the music scale. 

          In like manner, the followers of Pythagoras are also able to prove that whatever the shape of a triangle, its three angles always add up to the sum of two right angles which is 180 degrees. 

          The most famous equation in classical mathematics is still known as of our time as the Pythagorean Theory. In essence, any right-angle triangle, the square of the longest side (the hypotenuse) is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides.

          It is unlikely that the proof of this goes back to Pythagoras himself. But the theorem is typical of the achievements of Greek mathematicians, with their primary interest in geometry. 

                With further understanding, the vivid interest in numbers has been able to bring about the ingenuity of the great minds of the pasts which is still of living use until today.

          For today’s millennial learners the challenge is still up for grabs to be able to contribute with the rich legacy in exploring the world of numbers. 

Reference:
 www.mathisfun.com/pythagoras/html

By: Jennifer D. Quiles | Teacher II | BNHS – SHS