Pythagoras

Pythagoras was a famous mathematician and philosopher from ancient Greece. He was born on the island of Samos around 570 BC. He is best known for the Pythagorean theorem. This theorem is about right triangles and is still taught in schools today.

Early Life

Pythagoras grew up on the Greek island of Samos. He traveled to Egypt and Babylon to learn math and science. He later moved to southern Italy. There he started a school and a community of followers.

Big Discoveries

Pythagoras discovered that music and math are connected. He found that strings of different lengths make different notes. His most famous idea is the Pythagorean theorem. It says that in a right triangle, the square of the longest side equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

Fun Facts

• Pythagoras and his followers believed that numbers could explain everything in the universe.
• He had strict rules for his students, including not eating beans.
• His followers were called Pythagoreans and kept their teachings secret.

Did You Know?

The Pythagorean theorem was actually known by the Babylonians a thousand years before Pythagoras. But he was the first to prove why it works mathematically.