Pythagorean theorem cultural definition

The theorem in geometry that, in a triangle with one right angle, usually called a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.

• The theorem is often expressed a² + b² = c².
• The simplest whole number expression of this theorem is called the 3, 4, 5 triangle. In a right triangle, if one side measures three units, and the second side measures four units, the hypotenuse must measure five units because 3² + 4² = 5²; that is, 9 + 16 = 25.