Name:

Pythagorean Triple Worksheet

A formal definition: A Pythagorean triple is a set of three positive integers , , and such that . They are sometimes written as .

1) Show that the following are Pythagorean Triples by showing they satisfy the equation above. a. a = 3, b = 4, c = 5

b. a = 12, b = 5, c = 13 These concepts are named after Pythagoras (about 570 - 495 BC) because he was the first to look for and collect a great deal of these triples. But he was not the first to discover them! Indeed, these triples (and the related Pythagorean Theorem) were known to the Babylonians (in modern day Iraq) as far back as 1600 BC! 2) Show that the following are Pythagorean Triples: a. a = 6, b=8, c=10 b. a = 9, b=12, c=15

c. a = 12, b=16, c=20

What do you notice about these triples? How do they relate to the triple in 1a?

3) Given what you found in Problem 2, write out 3 more Pythagorean triples:

pythagorean_triples

6/12/2013

Name: Can you find two sides of a Pythagorean triple given just one side? Pythagoras and the Babylonians had a method. In modern symbols: given a number m , a Pythagorean triple will be generated according to the following pattern: (2m, m2 1, m2 1) 4) For m = 2, what is the triple? Youve seen this one before, havent you?

5)

For m = 7, what is the triple? Verify that it is a Pythagorean Triple.

A Primitive Pythagorean triple is one in which there is no common factor among the three terms. 6) Which ones of the above are primitive Pythagorean triples?

7)

Find another Primitive Pythagorean triple that you havent seen yet.

Euclid, in Book X, Proposition 29, Lemma 1 (a lemma is a short theorem used to prove a longer theorem) showed that (primitive) triples can be generated by (v 2 u 2 ,2uv, v 2 u 2 ) where v > u and u & v are relatively prime and u and v are of opposite parity (one is even and one is odd). 8) Show how that would work with 8 & 15. First, verify that they satisfy the conditions above.

9)

Pick two numbers of your own to show another set of triples from Euclids formula.

pythagorean_triples

6/12/2013

Name: Another method of generation of Pythagorean triples depends on Fibonacci numbers. The Fibonacci sequence is formed by starting with the numbers 1 and 1, then each subsequent term is the sum of the two previous terms. That is, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10) Write the Fibonacci sequence out to the 12th term.

Take a sequence of 4 Fibonacci numbers, Fn, Fn+1, Fn+2, & Fn+3. A Pythagorean triple can be expressed by ( Fn Fn3 , 2 Fn1 Fn2 , ( Fn1 ) 2 ( Fn2 ) 2 ) 11) Start with a Fibonacci number greater than 21 and show how this expression generates a Pythagorean triple. (Verify that it is a Pythagorean Triple.)

A Pythagorean Triangle is a right triangle with integer sides (in other words, sides which are a Pythagorean triple). 12) Find the area of a half-dozen Pythagorean triangles:

13)

What do you notice about all those numbers?

pythagorean_triples

6/12/2013