Solutions of Pythagorean Equation/Historical Note
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Historical Note on Solutions of Pythagorean Equation
It is clear from the cuneiform tablet Plimpton $\mathit { 322 }$ that the ancient Babylonians of $2000$ BCE were familiar with this result.
The complete solution of the Pythagorean equation was known to Euclid.
The proof was provided by Euclid and Diophantus of Alexandria.
It forms problem $8$ of the second book of his Arithmetica.
It was in the margin of his copy of Bachet's translation of this where Pierre de Fermat made his famous marginal note that led to the hunt for the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.
Sources
- 1937: Eric Temple Bell: Men of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text{IV}$: The Prince of Amateurs
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $13$
- 1989: Ephraim J. Borowski and Jonathan M. Borwein: Dictionary of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): Pythagorean triple or Pythagorean numbers
- 1992: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Pythagorean Triples: $15$
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $13$