Pythagorean theorem four elementary lemmata: Next, each top square is related to a triangle congruent with another triangle related in turn to one of two rectangles making up the lower square. The proof is as follows: This proof, which appears in Euclid's "Elements" as that of Proposition 47 in Book 1, demonstrates that the area of the square on the hypotenuse is the sum of the areas of the other two squares. This is quite distinct from the proof by similarity of triangles, which is conjectured to be the proof that Pythagoras used. We have already discussed the Pythagorean proof, which was
Triangle the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two other sides. If the hypotenuse has length "c", and the legs have lengths "a" and "b", then the theorem states that The converse is true: if the lengths of the sides of a triangle satisfy the above equation, then the triangle has a right angle opposite side "c". Some other facts about right triangles: For all triangles, angles and sides are related by the law of cosines and law of sines (also called the "cosine rule" and "sine rule"). The triangle inequality states that the sum