After a brief hiatus, we resume our profiles of great thinkers throughout the ages. For today’s indulgence, I have picked a great mathematician from the ancient era, Pythagoras. The name Pythagoras no doubt brings back memories of high school geometry and the torture of calculating unknowns for right angle triangles. But behind the man and his triangles is a mysterious philosopher who was born in 570 BCE on the island of Samos in Greece.
His early life was as dramatic as a Greek tragedy, complete with mysterious origins and divine intervention. Legend has it that his mother, Pythais, dreamt of a thunderbolt striking her womb, foretelling the birth of a son who would unravel the secrets of the universe. Talk about a dramatic cosmic entrance into this world or an elaborate cover up of a drunken one-night stand! Growing up in Samos, Pythagoras' passion for knowledge led him to study under some of the most influential thinkers of his time, including Thales, the water-wizard/ philosopher dude. However, not content with dabbling in philosophy alone, Pythagoras set sail for Egypt, like a mathematical Indiana Jones, seeking the wisdom of the ancient mystics. It was in Egypt that he immersed himself in the study of geometry, numbers, and the mystical arts that would later define his legacy.
Pythagoras returned to Greece with a mind buzzing like a beehive of mathematical revelation. His most famous contribution, the Pythagorean theorem, laid the foundation for modern geometry. Picture this: a right-angled triangle, a square on each side, and a simple equation that would change the course of mathematics forever. A² + B² = C². It's elegant, it's genius, and it's the reason your high school math teacher insisted you memorise it.
But Pythagoras wasn't satisfied with just triangles; he saw the world through the lens of numbers and ratios. His fascination with the harmony of the universe led to the discovery of the musical scale's mathematical structure, a revelation that transformed him into the ancient world's equivalent of Noel Gallagher.
Unraveling mathematical mysteries was still not enough to satisfy this genius. Like Leonardo Da Vinci who we will look at next in this series, he ventured into the realm of inventions. These are perhaps not as well remembered today, but in his day, they added to his fame and reputation as a quirky thinker. One of these inventions was the Pythagorean Cup, which when filled beyond a certain level, would drain its contents through a hidden tube, with the contents ending up on the trousers (or ancient Greek equivalent) of the would-be alcoholic, giving them a quick lesson in moderation. Some biographers also believe that he may have also invented an early form of the abacus, although this invention almost certainly predates Pythagoras by as much as 2,000 years, originating in ancient Mesopotamia.
Separating myth and legend from reality is always challenging when we are dealing with historical figures of mythical proportions, such as Pythagoras who naturally have an aura of mystery around them. Pythagoras is said to have also been the founder of a secret society that blended mathematics with mystical beliefs. Known as the Pythagorean Brotherhood, this clandestine group swore an oath of silence, ensuring that the inner workings of their mathematical cabal remained shrouded in mystery. The secrecy surrounding their rituals and teachings fueled speculation and conspiracy theories throughout the ages. One of the most enduring controversies revolves around the concept of Pythagoreanism as a religion. Did Pythagoras truly see numbers as divine entities, or was he just a really enthusiastic math teacher with a penchant for secrecy? Was Pythagoras a mathematical sage or the high priest of an ancient numerical cult.
The discovery of Pythagorean triplets—sets of three positive integers that satisfy the Pythagorean theorem—added an extra layer of enchantment to his mathematical repertoire. These triplets, like secret codes embedded in the fabric of mathematics, continue to captivate number theorists and puzzle enthusiasts, creating an enduring mystery that transcends time.
So, the next time you calculate the length of the hypotenuse or hum a tune in perfect harmony, remember Pythagoras—not just the ‘triangle dude’ but the man who made geometry a cosmic comedy and numbers a source of eternal wonder.
