Pythagoras's Darkest Hour

Author Adams, Colin
Year 2007
Journal Math Horizons
Keywords mathematics

Abstract

Kasmana:A humorous short story from the author of Mathematically Bent which tells the true story of the discovery of the Pythagorean Theorem. Well, actually, perhaps it isn't exactly true...but it is so good, I wish it were!In this story, we see Pythagoras moping in a bar after a theorem he presented to the Assembly is discovered to be false. (He had claimed that the radius, circumference and area of a circle would satisfy x2+y2=z2...but they do not.) With his slave's help, however, he discovers a valid theorem incorporating the same formula. (Yes, that's right...it has something to do with triangles.) Now if only Pythagoras would listen to the slave's concern about the square root of two,...