"The Father of Numbers"

As a math and history student, I find Pythagoras to be a rather appealing person to examine. His estimated birth year is 570 BCE. As an ancient Greek philosopher, he was of a time of great innovation and discovery. Sadly, none of his writings survive today. This leads to much questioning of weather his many accomplishments are even his own or that of his successors. Nevertheless, it is Pythagoras who is regarded as one of the first great mathematicians and credited as founder of the well-known Pythagorean Theorem.
A significant rule in geometry, the Pythagorean Theorem pertains to right triangles. More specifically, it declares that the sum of the squares of the two right-angle sides is equal to the square of the hypotenuse. In general, A² + B² = C² for any right triangle as in the picture.

However, there are several pieces of evidence that suggest the knowledge of this theorem before Pythagoras' time. One is a Mesopotamian tablet known as Plimpton 322. It was written around 1790 BCE, during Hammurabi's reign and it includes entries related to Pythagorean triples. Furthermore, the Apastamba Sulba Sutra, which is dated to 600 BCE, contains a numerical proof of the Pythagorean Theorem. Significantly, there was no attribution of the theorem to Pythagoras for five hundred years after he lived. Then why does today's world know it as his discovery? As it is, authors such as Plutarch and Cicero gave credit to Pythagoras in their writings so that it has become the most well-known idea.

An interesting result of Pythagoras' life is the legacy he left behind. While he lived, he basically set up a school that was rather secretive by which members were bound by a vow to him and to other members. Pythagoreans considered themselves pure, wearing their hair long and dressing in simple clothing, often barefoot. Both men and women belonged. This intriguing group has had quite an influence on our world and its history.