Distance from a point to a line the perpendicular "R". Draw the vertical line through "P" and label its intersection with the given line "S". At any point "T" on the line, draw a right triangle "TVU" whose sides are horizontal and vertical line segments with hypotenuse "TU" on the given line and horizontal side of length |"B"| (see diagram). The vertical side of ∆"TVU" will have length |"A"| since the line has slope -"A"/"B". ∆"PRS" and ∆"TVU" are similar triangles, since they are both right triangles and ∠"PSR" ≅ ∠"TUV" since they are corresponding angles of a transversal to the parallel lines "PS" and "UV" (both
Fermat's right triangle theorem Fermat's right triangle theorem Fermat's right triangle theorem is a non-existence proof in number theory, the only complete proof left by Pierre de Fermat. It has several equivalent formulations: An immediate consequence of the last of these formulations is that Fermat's last theorem is true for the exponent formula_3 and hence for any multiple of 4. In 1225, Fibonacci was challenged to find a construction for triples of square numbers that are equally spaced from each other, forming an arithmetic progression, and for the spacing between these numbers, which he called a congruum. One way of describing Fibonacci's solution is