The Pythagorean Theorem. A 4,000 Year History

Editorial Review

By any measure, the Pythagorean theorem is the most famous statement in all of mathematics, one remembered from high school geometry class by even the most math-phobic students. Well over four hundred proofs are known to exist, including ones by a twelve-year-old Einstein, a young blind girl, Leonardo da Vinci, and a future president of the United States. Here--perhaps for the first time in English--is the full story of this famous theorem.

Although attributed to Pythagoras, the theorem was known to the Babylonians more than a thousand years before him. He may have been the first to prove it, but his proof--if indeed he had one--is lost to us. Euclid immortalized it as Proposition 47 in his Elements, and it is from there that it has passed down to generations of students. The theorem is central to almost every branch of science, pure or applied. It has even been proposed as a means to communicate with extraterrestrial beings, if and when we discover them. And, expanded to four-dimensional space-time, it plays a pivotal role in Einstein's theory of relativity.

In this book, Eli Maor brings to life many of the characters that played a role in the development of the Pythagorean theorem, providing a fascinating backdrop to perhaps our oldest enduring mathematical legacy.

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Customer Reviews

Not as exciting as e: the story of a number

2007-11-11
I loved e: the story of a number, both the story and the mathematics in it. But for some reason this book does not catch the same spirit. It doesn't have the exciting thread of a story that makes you want to turn to the next page, and the many different proofs make it feel like it's a patchwork of items forcing itself to support the topic rather than a natural inspiring thread that helps you see the growth in the mathematics. I found it disappointing.

Probably the World's Best-Known Theorem

2007-09-24
Eli Maor is a fine mathematician who has produced some wonderful books on math topics for a general--well, let me say, educated--readership. His book, Trigonometric Delights, is my favorite. It is very interesting and engaging. I want to say "for an educated reader" again, though it seems rather redundant. Why would anyone who didn't know anything about trig and have an interest in the subject even bother to pick up the book? Still, as someone who spent more than ten years in high school math classrooms, I also found his work useful to interest and inspire my students (and myself).

Since the class I taught most often was geometry, I was very happy to see this book on the Pythagorean theorem. I have to admit, as an avid reader on the subject, I was familiar with much of what's here; particularly, the historical development and the more "Euclidean" applications of the theorem. On the other hand, he developed some proofs and problems I hadn't seen before which I found quite interesting.

Overall, however, I didn't find this book quite as engaging as some of his other work. I got the feeling he started off wanted to write a book that would have more universal appeal than some of his other titles. I mean, after all, nearly everyone knows what the Pythagorean theorem is, or has at least heard of it. But there wasn't nearly enough of the "simple" stuff and the last half of the book really goes quite far afield into mathematics without which someone without a pretty decent background in the subject will have a difficult time; particularly since the development is rather sparse in what feels like an aborted effort to keep things simple. Even some of the earlier demonstrations and proofs are a bit difficult if you don't have the background in Greek mathematics which, unfortunately, is often lacking these days.

Still, as someone who loves geometry and has a pretty good background in it, I found much here to like. Any reader who feels confident in their mathematical ability will probably find much here to like too.

Behold the Book!

2007-06-23
The Pythagorean Theorem could rightfully be called the 'Crown Jewel of Mathematics'. For from its truths and intellectual spawn come all the wonders of our modern word--high rises, automobiles, cell phones, interplanetary probes, you name it! Unfortunately, the last serious book on this subject was written over 80 years ago by an Ohio school teacher, Elisha Loomis. Enter Dr. Eli Maor! He has written an absolutely marvelous book about 'The Crown Jewel' that will captivate anyone with a good high school mathematics background. Read it and behold a wonder!