Pythagorean triangle
1
6.1
- noun
- /ˌpaɪθəˈɡɔriən ˈtraɪæŋɡəl/
- Specialized
:
triángulo pitagórico
- A Pythagorean triangle has integer side lengths that follow the equation a² + b² = c².
Examples
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Mathematicians study the properties of Pythagorean triangles for number theory research.
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The (3, 4, 5) triangle is a classic example of a Pythagorean triangle.
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She showed how to construct a new Pythagorean triangle with different integer side lengths.
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A Pythagorean triangle has sides of integer lengths.
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The lengths of the sides in a Pythagorean triangle must satisfy a² + b² = c².
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In mathematics, a Pythagorean triangle is formed when the lengths of the sides correspond to the Pythagorean theorem.
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To construct a Pythagorean triangle, you can use the side lengths 3, 4, and 5.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The headword 'triangle' gives the basic shape, and 'Pythagorean' signals a relation to Pythagoras/the Pythagorean theorem, so a learner could infer this is a special kind of triangle (likely a right triangle). However, the precise mathematical constraint (integer side lengths satisfying a² + b² = c²) is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Pythagorean triangle is named after the Greek mathematician Pythagoras, who showed that in a 'right triangle' the square of the long side equals the sum of the squares of the two short sides. That's why a Pythagorean triangle is a 'right triangle' whose side lengths are 'whole numbers' that fit that rule, and the simple 3, 4, 5 triangle gives a clear image to remember it.