92-518: In mathematics , the Pythagorean theorem or Pythagoras' theorem is a fundamental relation in Euclidean geometry between the three sides of a right triangle . It states that the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle ) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares on the other two sides. The theorem can be written as an equation relating
184-406: A + b ) 2 {\displaystyle (a+b)^{2}} as well as 2 a b + c 2 {\displaystyle 2ab+c^{2}} , with 2 a b {\displaystyle 2ab} representing the total area of the four triangles. Within the big square on the left side, the four triangles are moved to form two similar rectangles with sides of length
276-413: A b + a 2 + b 2 {\displaystyle 2ab+a^{2}+b^{2}} . Since both squares have the area of ( a + b ) 2 {\displaystyle (a+b)^{2}} it follows that the other measure of the square area also equal each other such that 2 a b + c 2 {\displaystyle 2ab+c^{2}} = 2
368-461: A b + a 2 + b 2 {\displaystyle 2ab+a^{2}+b^{2}} . With the area of the four triangles removed from both side of the equation what remains is a 2 + b 2 = c 2 . {\displaystyle a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}.} In another proof rectangles in the second box can also be placed such that both have one corner that correspond to consecutive corners of
460-406: A and b . These rectangles in their new position have now delineated two new squares, one having side length a is formed in the bottom-left corner, and another square of side length b formed in the top-right corner. In this new position, this left side now has a square of area ( a + b ) 2 {\displaystyle (a+b)^{2}} as well as 2
552-485: A + b = c , there exists a triangle with sides a , b and c as a consequence of the converse of the triangle inequality . This converse appears in Euclid's Elements (Book I, Proposition 48): "If in a triangle the square on one of the sides equals the sum of the squares on the remaining two sides of the triangle, then the angle contained by the remaining two sides of the triangle is right." It can be proved using
644-417: A and b by moving the triangles. Combining the smaller square with these rectangles produces two squares of areas a and b , which must have the same area as the initial large square. The third, rightmost image also gives a proof. The upper two squares are divided as shown by the blue and green shading, into pieces that when rearranged can be made to fit in the lower square on the hypotenuse – or conversely
736-591: A set whose elements are unspecified, of operations acting on the elements of the set, and rules that these operations must follow. The scope of algebra thus grew to include the study of algebraic structures. This object of algebra was called modern algebra or abstract algebra , as established by the influence and works of Emmy Noether . Some types of algebraic structures have useful and often fundamental properties, in many areas of mathematics. Their study became autonomous parts of algebra, and include: The study of types of algebraic structures as mathematical objects
828-416: A to give the equation This is more of an intuitive proof than a formal one: it can be made more rigorous if proper limits are used in place of dx and dy . The converse of the theorem is also true: Given a triangle with sides of length a , b , and c , if a + b = c , then the angle between sides a and b is a right angle . For any three positive real numbers a , b , and c such that
920-456: A creator of mathematics, although debate about this continues. The theorem can be proved algebraically using four copies of the same triangle arranged symmetrically around a square with side c , as shown in the lower part of the diagram. This results in a larger square, with side a + b and area ( a + b ) . The four triangles and the square side c must have the same area as the larger square, giving A similar proof uses four copies of
1012-614: A foundation for all mathematics). Mathematics involves the description and manipulation of abstract objects that consist of either abstractions from nature or—in modern mathematics—purely abstract entities that are stipulated to have certain properties, called axioms . Mathematics uses pure reason to prove properties of objects, a proof consisting of a succession of applications of deductive rules to already established results. These results include previously proved theorems , axioms, and—in case of abstraction from nature—some basic properties that are considered true starting points of
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#17327734090781104-669: A fruitful interaction between mathematics and science , to the benefit of both. Mathematical discoveries continue to be made to this very day. According to Mikhail B. Sevryuk, in the January ;2006 issue of the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society , "The number of papers and books included in the Mathematical Reviews (MR) database since 1940 (the first year of operation of MR)
1196-404: A mathematical problem. In turn, the axiomatic method allows for the study of various geometries obtained either by changing the axioms or by considering properties that do not change under specific transformations of the space . Today's subareas of geometry include: Algebra is the art of manipulating equations and formulas. Diophantus (3rd century) and al-Khwarizmi (9th century) were
1288-422: A mathematical statement that is taken to be true without need of proof. If a mathematical statement has yet to be proven (or disproven), it is termed a conjecture . Through a series of rigorous arguments employing deductive reasoning , a statement that is proven to be true becomes a theorem. A specialized theorem that is mainly used to prove another theorem is called a lemma . A proven instance that forms part of
1380-450: A measure of a + b {\displaystyle a+b} and which contain four right triangles whose sides are a , b and c , with the hypotenuse being c . In the square on the right side, the triangles are placed such that the corners of the square correspond to the corners of the right angle in the triangles, forming a square in the center whose sides are length c . Each outer square has an area of (
1472-402: A more general finding is termed a corollary . Numerous technical terms used in mathematics are neologisms , such as polynomial and homeomorphism . Other technical terms are words of the common language that are used in an accurate meaning that may differ slightly from their common meaning. For example, in mathematics, " or " means "one, the other or both", while, in common language, it
1564-535: A population mean with a given level of confidence. Because of its use of optimization , the mathematical theory of statistics overlaps with other decision sciences , such as operations research , control theory , and mathematical economics . Computational mathematics is the study of mathematical problems that are typically too large for human, numerical capacity. Numerical analysis studies methods for problems in analysis using functional analysis and approximation theory ; numerical analysis broadly includes
1656-551: A right triangle with sides a , b and c , arranged inside a square with side c as in the top half of the diagram. The triangles are similar with area 1 2 a b {\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}ab} , while the small square has side b − a and area ( b − a ) . The area of the large square is therefore But this is a square with side c and area c , so This theorem may have more known proofs than any other (the law of quadratic reciprocity being another contender for that distinction);
1748-411: A separate branch of mathematics until the seventeenth century. At the end of the 19th century, the foundational crisis in mathematics and the resulting systematization of the axiomatic method led to an explosion of new areas of mathematics. The 2020 Mathematics Subject Classification contains no less than sixty-three first-level areas. Some of these areas correspond to the older division, as
1840-424: A single unknown , which were called algebraic equations (a term still in use, although it may be ambiguous). During the 19th century, mathematicians began to use variables to represent things other than numbers (such as matrices , modular integers , and geometric transformations ), on which generalizations of arithmetic operations are often valid. The concept of algebraic structure addresses this, consisting of
1932-418: A statistical action, such as using a procedure in, for example, parameter estimation , hypothesis testing , and selecting the best . In these traditional areas of mathematical statistics , a statistical-decision problem is formulated by minimizing an objective function , like expected loss or cost , under specific constraints. For example, designing a survey often involves minimizing the cost of estimating
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#17327734090782024-501: A theory of proportions, a topic not discussed until later in the Elements , and that the theory of proportions needed further development at that time. Albert Einstein gave a proof by dissection in which the pieces do not need to be moved. Instead of using a square on the hypotenuse and two squares on the legs, one can use any other shape that includes the hypotenuse, and two similar shapes that each include one of two legs instead of
2116-456: A triangle, CDE , which (with E chosen so CE is perpendicular to the hypotenuse) is a right triangle approximately similar to ABC . Therefore, the ratios of their sides must be the same, that is: This can be rewritten as y d y = x d x {\displaystyle y\,dy=x\,dx} , which is a differential equation that can be solved by direct integration: giving The constant can be deduced from x = 0, y =
2208-477: A wide expansion of mathematical logic, with subareas such as model theory (modeling some logical theories inside other theories), proof theory , type theory , computability theory and computational complexity theory . Although these aspects of mathematical logic were introduced before the rise of computers , their use in compiler design, formal verification , program analysis , proof assistants and other aspects of computer science , contributed in turn to
2300-703: Is Fermat's Last Theorem . This conjecture was stated in 1637 by Pierre de Fermat, but it was proved only in 1994 by Andrew Wiles , who used tools including scheme theory from algebraic geometry , category theory , and homological algebra . Another example is Goldbach's conjecture , which asserts that every even integer greater than 2 is the sum of two prime numbers . Stated in 1742 by Christian Goldbach , it remains unproven despite considerable effort. Number theory includes several subareas, including analytic number theory , algebraic number theory , geometry of numbers (method oriented), diophantine equations , and transcendence theory (problem oriented). Geometry
2392-427: Is a right triangle, as shown in the upper part of the diagram, with BC the hypotenuse. At the same time the triangle lengths are measured as shown, with the hypotenuse of length y , the side AC of length x and the side AB of length a , as seen in the lower diagram part. If x is increased by a small amount dx by extending the side AC slightly to D , then y also increases by dy . These form two sides of
2484-401: Is a simple means of determining whether a triangle is right, obtuse, or acute, as follows. Let c be chosen to be the longest of the three sides and a + b > c (otherwise there is no triangle according to the triangle inequality ). The following statements apply: Edsger W. Dijkstra has stated this proposition about acute, right, and obtuse triangles in this language: where α is
2576-403: Is commonly used for advanced parts. Analysis is further subdivided into real analysis , where variables represent real numbers , and complex analysis , where variables represent complex numbers . Analysis includes many subareas shared by other areas of mathematics which include: Discrete mathematics, broadly speaking, is the study of individual, countable mathematical objects. An example
2668-513: Is defined by the set of all similar objects and the properties that these objects must have. For example, in Peano arithmetic , the natural numbers are defined by "zero is a number", "each number has a unique successor", "each number but zero has a unique predecessor", and some rules of reasoning. This mathematical abstraction from reality is embodied in the modern philosophy of formalism , as founded by David Hilbert around 1910. The "nature" of
2760-427: Is divided into a left and right rectangle. A triangle is constructed that has half the area of the left rectangle. Then another triangle is constructed that has half the area of the square on the left-most side. These two triangles are shown to be congruent , proving this square has the same area as the left rectangle. This argument is followed by a similar version for the right rectangle and the remaining square. Putting
2852-407: Is either ambiguous or means "one or the other but not both" (in mathematics, the latter is called " exclusive or "). Finally, many mathematical terms are common words that are used with a completely different meaning. This may lead to sentences that are correct and true mathematical assertions, but appear to be nonsense to people who do not have the required background. For example, "every free module
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2944-493: Is in Babylonian mathematics that elementary arithmetic ( addition , subtraction , multiplication , and division ) first appear in the archaeological record. The Babylonians also possessed a place-value system and used a sexagesimal numeral system which is still in use today for measuring angles and time. In the 6th century BC, Greek mathematics began to emerge as a distinct discipline and some Ancient Greeks such as
3036-586: Is mostly used for numerical calculations . Number theory dates back to ancient Babylon and probably China . Two prominent early number theorists were Euclid of ancient Greece and Diophantus of Alexandria. The modern study of number theory in its abstract form is largely attributed to Pierre de Fermat and Leonhard Euler . The field came to full fruition with the contributions of Adrien-Marie Legendre and Carl Friedrich Gauss . Many easily stated number problems have solutions that require sophisticated methods, often from across mathematics. A prominent example
3128-404: Is not sufficient to verify by measurement that, say, two lengths are equal; their equality must be proven via reasoning from previously accepted results ( theorems ) and a few basic statements. The basic statements are not subject to proof because they are self-evident ( postulates ), or are part of the definition of the subject of study ( axioms ). This principle, foundational for all mathematics,
3220-1192: Is now more than 1.9 million, and more than 75 thousand items are added to the database each year. The overwhelming majority of works in this ocean contain new mathematical theorems and their proofs." Mathematical notation is widely used in science and engineering for representing complex concepts and properties in a concise, unambiguous, and accurate way. This notation consists of symbols used for representing operations , unspecified numbers, relations and any other mathematical objects, and then assembling them into expressions and formulas. More precisely, numbers and other mathematical objects are represented by symbols called variables, which are generally Latin or Greek letters, and often include subscripts . Operation and relations are generally represented by specific symbols or glyphs , such as + ( plus ), × ( multiplication ), ∫ {\textstyle \int } ( integral ), = ( equal ), and < ( less than ). All these symbols are generally grouped according to specific rules to form expressions and formulas. Normally, expressions and formulas do not appear alone, but are included in sentences of
3312-547: Is often held to be Archimedes ( c. 287 – c. 212 BC ) of Syracuse . He developed formulas for calculating the surface area and volume of solids of revolution and used the method of exhaustion to calculate the area under the arc of a parabola with the summation of an infinite series , in a manner not too dissimilar from modern calculus. Other notable achievements of Greek mathematics are conic sections ( Apollonius of Perga , 3rd century BC), trigonometry ( Hipparchus of Nicaea , 2nd century BC), and
3404-433: Is one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It started with empirical recipes concerning shapes, such as lines , angles and circles , which were developed mainly for the needs of surveying and architecture , but has since blossomed out into many other subfields. A fundamental innovation was the ancient Greeks' introduction of the concept of proofs , which require that every assertion must be proved . For example, it
3496-617: Is represented by a Cartesian coordinate system in analytic geometry , Euclidean distance satisfies the Pythagorean relation: the squared distance between two points equals the sum of squares of the difference in each coordinate between the points. The theorem can be generalized in various ways: to higher-dimensional spaces , to spaces that are not Euclidean , to objects that are not right triangles, and to objects that are not triangles at all but n -dimensional solids. In one rearrangement proof, two squares are used whose sides have
3588-398: Is similarly halved, and there are only two triangles so the proof proceeds as above except for a factor of 1 2 {\displaystyle {\frac {1}{2}}} , which is removed by multiplying by two to give the result. One can arrive at the Pythagorean theorem by studying how changes in a side produce a change in the hypotenuse and employing calculus . The triangle ABC
3680-567: Is sometimes mistranslated as a condemnation of mathematicians. The apparent plural form in English goes back to the Latin neuter plural mathematica ( Cicero ), based on the Greek plural ta mathēmatiká ( τὰ μαθηματικά ) and means roughly "all things mathematical", although it is plausible that English borrowed only the adjective mathematic(al) and formed the noun mathematics anew, after
3772-418: Is the purpose of universal algebra and category theory . The latter applies to every mathematical structure (not only algebraic ones). At its origin, it was introduced, together with homological algebra for allowing the algebraic study of non-algebraic objects such as topological spaces ; this particular area of application is called algebraic topology . Calculus, formerly called infinitesimal calculus,
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3864-405: Is the set of all integers. Because the objects of study here are discrete, the methods of calculus and mathematical analysis do not directly apply. Algorithms —especially their implementation and computational complexity —play a major role in discrete mathematics. The four color theorem and optimal sphere packing were two major problems of discrete mathematics solved in the second half of
3956-508: Is true regarding number theory (the modern name for higher arithmetic ) and geometry. Several other first-level areas have "geometry" in their names or are otherwise commonly considered part of geometry. Algebra and calculus do not appear as first-level areas but are respectively split into several first-level areas. Other first-level areas emerged during the 20th century or had not previously been considered as mathematics, such as mathematical logic and foundations . Number theory began with
4048-527: The Babylonians and Egyptians began using arithmetic, algebra, and geometry for taxation and other financial calculations, for building and construction, and for astronomy. The oldest mathematical texts from Mesopotamia and Egypt are from 2000 to 1800 BC. Many early texts mention Pythagorean triples and so, by inference, the Pythagorean theorem seems to be the most ancient and widespread mathematical concept after basic arithmetic and geometry. It
4140-768: The Golden Age of Islam , especially during the 9th and 10th centuries, mathematics saw many important innovations building on Greek mathematics. The most notable achievement of Islamic mathematics was the development of algebra . Other achievements of the Islamic period include advances in spherical trigonometry and the addition of the decimal point to the Arabic numeral system. Many notable mathematicians from this period were Persian, such as Al-Khwarizmi , Omar Khayyam and Sharaf al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī . The Greek and Arabic mathematical texts were in turn translated to Latin during
4232-511: The Pythagoreans appeared to have considered it a subject in its own right. Around 300 BC, Euclid organized mathematical knowledge by way of postulates and first principles, which evolved into the axiomatic method that is used in mathematics today, consisting of definition, axiom, theorem, and proof. His book, Elements , is widely considered the most successful and influential textbook of all time. The greatest mathematician of antiquity
4324-536: The Renaissance , mathematics was divided into two main areas: arithmetic , regarding the manipulation of numbers, and geometry , regarding the study of shapes. Some types of pseudoscience , such as numerology and astrology , were not then clearly distinguished from mathematics. During the Renaissance, two more areas appeared. Mathematical notation led to algebra which, roughly speaking, consists of
4416-405: The altitude from point C , and call H its intersection with the side AB . Point H divides the length of the hypotenuse c into parts d and e . The new triangle, ACH, is similar to triangle ABC , because they both have a right angle (by definition of the altitude), and they share the angle at A , meaning that the third angle will be the same in both triangles as well, marked as θ in
4508-446: The controversy over Cantor's set theory . In the same period, various areas of mathematics concluded the former intuitive definitions of the basic mathematical objects were insufficient for ensuring mathematical rigour . This became the foundational crisis of mathematics. It was eventually solved in mainstream mathematics by systematizing the axiomatic method inside a formalized set theory . Roughly speaking, each mathematical object
4600-406: The law of cosines or as follows: Let ABC be a triangle with side lengths a , b , and c , with a + b = c . Construct a second triangle with sides of length a and b containing a right angle. By the Pythagorean theorem, it follows that the hypotenuse of this triangle has length c = √ a + b , the same as the hypotenuse of the first triangle. Since both triangles' sides are
4692-400: The 17th century, when René Descartes introduced what is now called Cartesian coordinates . This constituted a major change of paradigm : Instead of defining real numbers as lengths of line segments (see number line ), it allowed the representation of points using their coordinates , which are numbers. Algebra (and later, calculus) can thus be used to solve geometrical problems. Geometry
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#17327734090784784-405: The 19th century, mathematicians discovered non-Euclidean geometries , which do not follow the parallel postulate . By questioning that postulate's truth, this discovery has been viewed as joining Russell's paradox in revealing the foundational crisis of mathematics . This aspect of the crisis was solved by systematizing the axiomatic method, and adopting that the truth of the chosen axioms is not
4876-532: The 20th century. The P versus NP problem , which remains open to this day, is also important for discrete mathematics, since its solution would potentially impact a large number of computationally difficult problems. Discrete mathematics includes: The two subjects of mathematical logic and set theory have belonged to mathematics since the end of the 19th century. Before this period, sets were not considered to be mathematical objects, and logic , although used for mathematical proofs, belonged to philosophy and
4968-637: The Middle Ages and made available in Europe. During the early modern period , mathematics began to develop at an accelerating pace in Western Europe , with innovations that revolutionized mathematics, such as the introduction of variables and symbolic notation by François Viète (1540–1603), the introduction of logarithms by John Napier in 1614, which greatly simplified numerical calculations, especially for astronomy and marine navigation ,
5060-651: The angle opposite to side a , β is the angle opposite to side b , γ is the angle opposite to side c , and sgn is the sign function . Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, theories and theorems that are developed and proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many areas of mathematics, which include number theory (the study of numbers), algebra (the study of formulas and related structures), geometry (the study of shapes and spaces that contain them), analysis (the study of continuous changes), and set theory (presently used as
5152-461: The area of the square on the hypotenuse is the sum of the areas of the other two squares. This is quite distinct from the proof by similarity of triangles, which is conjectured to be the proof that Pythagoras used. Another by rearrangement is given by the middle animation. A large square is formed with area c , from four identical right triangles with sides a , b and c , fitted around a small central square. Then two rectangles are formed with sides
5244-583: The beginnings of algebra (Diophantus, 3rd century AD). The Hindu–Arabic numeral system and the rules for the use of its operations, in use throughout the world today, evolved over the course of the first millennium AD in India and were transmitted to the Western world via Islamic mathematics . Other notable developments of Indian mathematics include the modern definition and approximation of sine and cosine , and an early form of infinite series . During
5336-402: The book The Pythagorean Proposition contains 370 proofs. This proof is based on the proportionality of the sides of three similar triangles, that is, upon the fact that the ratio of any two corresponding sides of similar triangles is the same regardless of the size of the triangles. Let ABC represent a right triangle, with the right angle located at C , as shown on the figure. Draw
5428-511: The concept of a proof and its associated mathematical rigour first appeared in Greek mathematics , most notably in Euclid 's Elements . Since its beginning, mathematics was primarily divided into geometry and arithmetic (the manipulation of natural numbers and fractions ), until the 16th and 17th centuries, when algebra and infinitesimal calculus were introduced as new fields. Since then,
5520-399: The current language, where expressions play the role of noun phrases and formulas play the role of clauses . Mathematics has developed a rich terminology covering a broad range of fields that study the properties of various abstract, idealized objects and how they interact. It is based on rigorous definitions that provide a standard foundation for communication. An axiom or postulate is
5612-569: The derived expression mathēmatikḗ tékhnē ( μαθηματικὴ τέχνη ), meaning ' mathematical science ' . It entered the English language during the Late Middle English period through French and Latin. Similarly, one of the two main schools of thought in Pythagoreanism was known as the mathēmatikoi (μαθηματικοί)—which at the time meant "learners" rather than "mathematicians" in the modern sense. The Pythagoreans were likely
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#17327734090785704-428: The expansion of these logical theories. The field of statistics is a mathematical application that is employed for the collection and processing of data samples, using procedures based on mathematical methods especially probability theory . Statisticians generate data with random sampling or randomized experiments . Statistical theory studies decision problems such as minimizing the risk ( expected loss ) of
5796-412: The figure. By a similar reasoning, the triangle CBH is also similar to ABC . The proof of similarity of the triangles requires the triangle postulate : The sum of the angles in a triangle is two right angles, and is equivalent to the parallel postulate . Similarity of the triangles leads to the equality of ratios of corresponding sides: The first result equates the cosines of the angles θ , whereas
5888-567: The first to constrain the use of the word to just the study of arithmetic and geometry. By the time of Aristotle (384–322 BC) this meaning was fully established. In Latin and English, until around 1700, the term mathematics more commonly meant " astrology " (or sometimes " astronomy ") rather than "mathematics"; the meaning gradually changed to its present one from about 1500 to 1800. This change has resulted in several mistranslations: For example, Saint Augustine 's warning that Christians should beware of mathematici , meaning "astrologers",
5980-400: The hypotenuse (see Similar figures on the three sides ). In Einstein's proof, the shape that includes the hypotenuse is the right triangle itself. The dissection consists of dropping a perpendicular from the vertex of the right angle of the triangle to the hypotenuse, thus splitting the whole triangle into two parts. Those two parts have the same shape as the original right triangle, and have
6072-491: The interaction between mathematical innovations and scientific discoveries has led to a correlated increase in the development of both. At the end of the 19th century, the foundational crisis of mathematics led to the systematization of the axiomatic method , which heralded a dramatic increase in the number of mathematical areas and their fields of application. The contemporary Mathematics Subject Classification lists more than sixty first-level areas of mathematics. Before
6164-400: The introduction of coordinates by René Descartes (1596–1650) for reducing geometry to algebra, and the development of calculus by Isaac Newton (1643–1727) and Gottfried Leibniz (1646–1716). Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), the most notable mathematician of the 18th century, unified these innovations into a single corpus with a standardized terminology, and completed them with the discovery and
6256-407: The large square can be divided as shown into pieces that fill the other two. This way of cutting one figure into pieces and rearranging them to get another figure is called dissection . This shows the area of the large square equals that of the two smaller ones. As shown in the accompanying animation, area-preserving shear mappings and translations can transform the squares on the sides adjacent to
6348-448: The legs of the original triangle as their hypotenuses, and the sum of their areas is that of the original triangle. Because the ratio of the area of a right triangle to the square of its hypotenuse is the same for similar triangles, the relationship between the areas of the three triangles holds for the squares of the sides of the large triangle as well. In outline, here is how the proof in Euclid 's Elements proceeds. The large square
6440-457: The lengths of the sides a , b and the hypotenuse c , sometimes called the Pythagorean equation : The theorem is named for the Greek philosopher Pythagoras , born around 570 BC. The theorem has been proved numerous times by many different methods – possibly the most for any mathematical theorem. The proofs are diverse, including both geometric proofs and algebraic proofs, with some dating back thousands of years. When Euclidean space
6532-409: The manipulation of numbers , that is, natural numbers ( N ) , {\displaystyle (\mathbb {N} ),} and later expanded to integers ( Z ) {\displaystyle (\mathbb {Z} )} and rational numbers ( Q ) . {\displaystyle (\mathbb {Q} ).} Number theory was once called arithmetic, but nowadays this term
6624-400: The natural numbers, there are theorems that are true (that is provable in a stronger system), but not provable inside the system. This approach to the foundations of mathematics was challenged during the first half of the 20th century by mathematicians led by Brouwer , who promoted intuitionistic logic , which explicitly lacks the law of excluded middle . These problems and debates led to
6716-536: The objects defined this way is a philosophical problem that mathematicians leave to philosophers, even if many mathematicians have opinions on this nature, and use their opinion—sometimes called "intuition"—to guide their study and proofs. The approach allows considering "logics" (that is, sets of allowed deducing rules), theorems, proofs, etc. as mathematical objects, and to prove theorems about them. For example, Gödel's incompleteness theorems assert, roughly speaking that, in every consistent formal system that contains
6808-521: The pattern of physics and metaphysics , inherited from Greek. In English, the noun mathematics takes a singular verb. It is often shortened to maths or, in North America, math . In addition to recognizing how to count physical objects, prehistoric peoples may have also known how to count abstract quantities, like time—days, seasons, or years. Evidence for more complex mathematics does not appear until around 3000 BC , when
6900-658: The proof of numerous theorems. Perhaps the foremost mathematician of the 19th century was the German mathematician Carl Gauss , who made numerous contributions to fields such as algebra, analysis, differential geometry , matrix theory , number theory, and statistics . In the early 20th century, Kurt Gödel transformed mathematics by publishing his incompleteness theorems , which show in part that any consistent axiomatic system—if powerful enough to describe arithmetic—will contain true propositions that cannot be proved. Mathematics has since been greatly extended, and there has been
6992-528: The proposals of German mathematicians Carl Anton Bretschneider and Hermann Hankel that Pythagoras may have known this proof. Heath himself favors a different proposal for a Pythagorean proof, but acknowledges from the outset of his discussion "that the Greek literature which we possess belonging to the first five centuries after Pythagoras contains no statement specifying this or any other particular great geometric discovery to him." Recent scholarship has cast increasing doubt on any sort of role for Pythagoras as
7084-423: The right-angle onto the square on the hypotenuse, together covering it exactly. Each shear leaves the base and height unchanged, thus leaving the area unchanged too. The translations also leave the area unchanged, as they do not alter the shapes at all. Each square is first sheared into a parallelogram, and then into a rectangle which can be translated onto one section of the square on the hypotenuse. A related proof
7176-464: The same area as one of the two squares on the legs. For the formal proof, we require four elementary lemmata : Next, each top square is related to a triangle congruent with another triangle related in turn to one of two rectangles making up the lower square. The proof is as follows: This proof, which appears in Euclid's Elements as that of Proposition 47 in Book ;1, demonstrates that
7268-406: The same lengths a , b and c , the triangles are congruent and must have the same angles. Therefore, the angle between the side of lengths a and b in the original triangle is a right angle. The above proof of the converse makes use of the Pythagorean theorem itself. The converse can also be proved without assuming the Pythagorean theorem. A corollary of the Pythagorean theorem's converse
7360-405: The second result equates their sines . These ratios can be written as Summing these two equalities results in which, after simplification, demonstrates the Pythagorean theorem: The role of this proof in history is the subject of much speculation. The underlying question is why Euclid did not use this proof, but invented another. One conjecture is that the proof by similar triangles involved
7452-539: The square. In this way they also form two boxes, this time in consecutive corners, with areas a 2 {\displaystyle a^{2}} and b 2 {\displaystyle b^{2}} which will again lead to a second square of with the area 2 a b + a 2 + b 2 {\displaystyle 2ab+a^{2}+b^{2}} . English mathematician Sir Thomas Heath gives this proof in his commentary on Proposition I.47 in Euclid's Elements , and mentions
7544-657: The study and the manipulation of formulas . Calculus , consisting of the two subfields differential calculus and integral calculus , is the study of continuous functions , which model the typically nonlinear relationships between varying quantities, as represented by variables . This division into four main areas—arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and calculus —endured until the end of the 19th century. Areas such as celestial mechanics and solid mechanics were then studied by mathematicians, but now are considered as belonging to physics. The subject of combinatorics has been studied for much of recorded history, yet did not become
7636-568: The study of approximation and discretization with special focus on rounding errors . Numerical analysis and, more broadly, scientific computing also study non-analytic topics of mathematical science, especially algorithmic- matrix -and- graph theory . Other areas of computational mathematics include computer algebra and symbolic computation . The word mathematics comes from the Ancient Greek word máthēma ( μάθημα ), meaning ' something learned, knowledge, mathematics ' , and
7728-672: The theory under consideration. Mathematics is essential in the natural sciences , engineering , medicine , finance , computer science , and the social sciences . Although mathematics is extensively used for modeling phenomena, the fundamental truths of mathematics are independent of any scientific experimentation. Some areas of mathematics, such as statistics and game theory , are developed in close correlation with their applications and are often grouped under applied mathematics . Other areas are developed independently from any application (and are therefore called pure mathematics ) but often later find practical applications. Historically,
7820-487: The title of his main treatise . Algebra became an area in its own right only with François Viète (1540–1603), who introduced the use of variables for representing unknown or unspecified numbers. Variables allow mathematicians to describe the operations that have to be done on the numbers represented using mathematical formulas . Until the 19th century, algebra consisted mainly of the study of linear equations (presently linear algebra ), and polynomial equations in
7912-508: The two main precursors of algebra. Diophantus solved some equations involving unknown natural numbers by deducing new relations until he obtained the solution. Al-Khwarizmi introduced systematic methods for transforming equations, such as moving a term from one side of an equation into the other side. The term algebra is derived from the Arabic word al-jabr meaning 'the reunion of broken parts' that he used for naming one of these methods in
8004-422: The two rectangles together to reform the square on the hypotenuse, its area is the same as the sum of the area of the other two squares. The details follow. Let A , B , C be the vertices of a right triangle, with a right angle at A . Drop a perpendicular from A to the side opposite the hypotenuse in the square on the hypotenuse. That line divides the square on the hypotenuse into two rectangles, each having
8096-406: Was first elaborated for geometry, and was systematized by Euclid around 300 BC in his book Elements . The resulting Euclidean geometry is the study of shapes and their arrangements constructed from lines, planes and circles in the Euclidean plane ( plane geometry ) and the three-dimensional Euclidean space . Euclidean geometry was developed without change of methods or scope until
8188-414: Was introduced independently and simultaneously by 17th-century mathematicians Newton and Leibniz . It is fundamentally the study of the relationship of variables that depend on each other. Calculus was expanded in the 18th century by Euler with the introduction of the concept of a function and many other results. Presently, "calculus" refers mainly to the elementary part of this theory, and "analysis"
8280-437: Was not specifically studied by mathematicians. Before Cantor 's study of infinite sets , mathematicians were reluctant to consider actually infinite collections, and considered infinity to be the result of endless enumeration . Cantor's work offended many mathematicians not only by considering actually infinite sets but by showing that this implies different sizes of infinity, per Cantor's diagonal argument . This led to
8372-414: Was published by future U.S. President James A. Garfield (then a U.S. Representative ). Instead of a square it uses a trapezoid , which can be constructed from the square in the second of the above proofs by bisecting along a diagonal of the inner square, to give the trapezoid as shown in the diagram. The area of the trapezoid can be calculated to be half the area of the square, that is The inner square
8464-571: Was split into two new subfields: synthetic geometry , which uses purely geometrical methods, and analytic geometry , which uses coordinates systemically. Analytic geometry allows the study of curves unrelated to circles and lines. Such curves can be defined as the graph of functions , the study of which led to differential geometry . They can also be defined as implicit equations , often polynomial equations (which spawned algebraic geometry ). Analytic geometry also makes it possible to consider Euclidean spaces of higher than three dimensions. In
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