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
Right triangle then with equality only in the isosceles case. If segments of lengths "p" and "q" emanating from vertex "C" trisect the hypotenuse into segments of length "c"/3, then The right triangle is the only triangle having two, rather than one or three, distinct inscribed squares. Let "h" and "k" ("h" > "k") be the sides of the two inscribed squares in a right triangle with hypotenuse "c". Then These sides and the incircle radius "r" are related by a similar formula: The perimeter of a right triangle equals the sum of the radii of the incircle and the three excircles: