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
Moiré pattern four sides equal to ; (we have a right triangle whose hypotenuse is and the side opposite to the angle is ). The pale lines correspond to the small diagonal of the rhombus. As the diagonals are the bisectors of the neighbouring sides, we can see that the pale line makes an angle equal to with the perpendicular of each pattern's line. Additionally, the spacing between two pale lines is , half of the long diagonal. The long diagonal is the hypotenuse of a right triangle and the sides of the right angle are and . The Pythagorean theorem gives: