Pythagorean theorem straightedge and compass. Pythagoras's theorem enables construction of incommensurable lengths because the hypotenuse of a triangle is related to the sides by the square root operation. The figure on the right shows how to construct line segments whose lengths are in the ratio of the square root of any positive integer. Each triangle has a side (labeled "1") that is the chosen unit for measurement. In each right triangle, Pythagoras's theorem establishes the length of the hypotenuse in terms of this unit. If a hypotenuse is related to the unit by the square root of a positive integer that is
Geometric mean theorem Geometric mean theorem The right triangle altitude theorem or geometric mean theorem is a result in elementary geometry that describes a relation between the lengths of the altitude on the hypotenuse in a right triangle and the two line segments it creates on the hypotenuse. It states that the geometric mean of the two segments equals the altitude. If "h" denotes the altitude in a right triangle and "p" and "q" the segments on the hypotenuse then the theorem can be stated as: or in term of areas: The latter version yields a method to square a rectangle with ruler