Elementary algebra sign). One of the most well-known equations describes Pythagoras' law relating the length of the sides of a right angle triangle: This equation states that formula_44, representing the square of the length of the side that is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle), is equal to the sum (addition) of the squares of the other two sides whose lengths are represented by formula_45 and formula_46. An equation is the claim that two expressions have the same value and are equal. Some equations are true for all values of the involved variables (such as formula_47); such equations are called
Square root of 2 as shown in Figure 1. The square overlap region in the middle () must equal the sum of the two uncovered squares (). But these squares on the diagonal have positive integer sides that are smaller than the original squares. Repeating this process we can find arbitrarily small squares one twice the area of the other, yet both having positive integer sides, which is impossible since positive integers cannot be less than 1. Another geometric reductio ad absurdum argument showing that is irrational appeared in 2000 in the American Mathematical Monthly. It is also an example of proof by infinite