An overview of Pythagoras' life

1. Aim
 To gain an understanding about
Pythagoras and PythagorasTheorem
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2. Activity 1
 Can your 3 squares fit together to create
a right angled triangle in the centre?

3. Compare…
 the area of the largest square with the
sum of the areas of the two smaller
squares.

4. When might Pythagoras Theorem be useful in real life?

5. Pythagoras
 570 – 490 BC
 Born on the island of Samos, Greece
 Modern view of Pythagoras –
Mathematician and scientist
 Traditional view of Pythagoras -
Philosopher
Deeply religious (he created a way of life)
Mystical

6. Pythagoras’ Teachers
 Anaximander – a ‘scientist and
philosopher’. He believed that the world
consisted of one element the
‘Unbounded’ and it was infinite, timeless
and indestructible.
 Pherecydes – a ‘philosopher and teller
of fairy tales’. He believed in
metempsychosis (the transmigration of
souls).

7. Pythagoras’ Travels
 During his travels, Pythagoras learned about
mathematical developments and religion.
 He travelled to Egypt*, Babylonia*, and
maybe as far as India.
 Pythagoras eventually settled in Croton, a
Greek town in Southern Italy, around the
age of 40 where he did most of his
philosophical work.
 *Note: Before Pythagoras, Ancient Egyptians could create a right angled
triangle (lengths = 3, 4, 5) with a piece of rope with 12 knots in it. Ancient
Babylonians also knew about the relationship of the 3, 4, 5 triangle!

8. Pythagorean Brotherhood
 Pythagoras founded the Pythagorean
Brotherhood, a religious and secretive group
with around 600 members.
 All is number was the fundamental principle.
 Members consisted of two groups the
‘mathematicians’ and the ‘listeners’.
 Pythagoras was the leader and his followers
became his disciples.
 If a secret was revealed the punishment was
death.

9. Religion
 All is number – numbers were the answer
to everything in the universe and had
deep religious significance.
 (all numbers had characteristics – e.g. odd numbers were male)
 Metempsychosis – all souls have eternal
life.
 The pentagram was their secret sign.
 The dodecahedron was the shape of the
universe.
 Forbidden to eat beans.

10. Proof
 Did Pythagoras create the famousTheorem?
 Sources suggest that he probably didn’t but
that he did find the proof that it works.
 Pythagoras created proof in mathematics,
irrational numbers and 4 platonic solids.
(tetrahedron, octahedron, cube and dodecahedron)
 There is no written evidence of Pythagoras’
work (although there are fakes!)
Platonic Solids