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Pythagoras of SamosPythagoras of SamosPythagoras is considered to be one of the most important mathematicians in the western world. His important theorem, the Pythagorean Theorem, states that square of the hypotenuse of a right angle triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. This simple, elegant and concise theorem is the underlying theorem which bears many other theorems, be it in the world of algebra, calculus, and most importantly, geometry. Pythagoras of Samos was born in Samos, Ionian island. He was born in 569 B.C and died in about 475 B.C. It is quite unfortunate, that unlike other Greek mathematicians and philosophists whose writings are readily available, little of Pythagoras can be found. The reason for this is due to the secrecy policy that he believed in. During his life, Pythagoras used to lead a mysterious society which is half religious and half scientific. We do, however, have some accounts of his life, written by other authors who were interested in his life, who attributed divine powers to him. Some believe that these findings are merely legends, and some believe that they are real. Some facts known about Pythagoras are trivial things such as his parents’ name. Mnesarchus was his father, and Pythais was believed to be his mother. Many do not even keep the exact accounts of his appearance, except the striking birthmark on his thigh. It is believed that the two persons who were the most influential to Pythagoras were Thales and Anaximander, his student. It was Thales who began teaching Pythagoras mathematics and astronomy. Later on Anaximander would complement the knowledge Pythagoras acquired from Thales by teaching him geometry and cosmology. After he felt that he had acquired enough knowledge from both Thales and Anaximander, Pythagoras went to Egypt and decided to go into priesthood. During this time, he took part in important discussions with the Egyptian priests. Later on he went back to Samos, and he founded his own institution, the so called “Semicircle” of Pythagoras. Its members were mostly the Samians, who diligently took part in discussions regarding goodness and justice. Help our community! Please leave a comment or review, |
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