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The Kids Are Alright: Pythagorean Theorem proven!

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Looks like the story originated here:


They issued a correction:

Correction: March 27, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated the nature of Johnson and Jackson's claim. Johnson and Jackson claim to have broken new ground by proving the Pythagorean theroem by means of trigonometry, not by proving it for the first time. The story was also updated to clarify language around the concept of mathematical proof and to note that previous, similar claims exist. We are grateful for the mathematicians who wrote in to set us straight.





The method they used for the proof is slightly different than established ones, but that is not news since there are numerous ways to prove theorems. And this is not a novel approach:



It doesn't appear to be their fault though that idiotic journos misrepresented the story and blew it up. They're only high school kids and it's great that they're engaged in math research.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
same energy

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DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
Looks like the story originated here:

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They issued a correction:






The method they used for the proof is slightly different than established ones, but that is not news since there are numerous ways to prove theorems. And this is not a novel approach:



It doesn't appear to be their fault though that idiotic journos misrepresented the story and blew it up. They're only high school kids and it's great that they're engaged in math research.


Thanks EL
 

Kadve

Member
TLDR: Until now you couldn't prove the classic theorem a2+b2=c2 (trigeometry) with an equation without incorporating the theorem in some way into that equation. And these kids might finally have found a way (don't ask me how. Most forms of math i get but it makes my head hurt at this level).
 

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
Looks like the story originated here:


They issued a correction:






The method they used for the proof is slightly different than established ones, but that is not news since there are numerous ways to prove theorems. And this is not a novel approach:



It doesn't appear to be their fault though that idiotic journos misrepresented the story and blew it up. They're only high school kids and it's great that they're engaged in math research.


Good details. That Zimba paper is worth a read if you want to know the math. It's short and easy to understand.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
Pythagoras was pacing back and forth in his study, his mind racing with thoughts. He had just received news that someone had solved his famous theorem. He should have been happy, but instead he was filled with anger.

“How could they do this?” he muttered to himself. “I spent years working on that theorem. It was my greatest achievement. And now someone else has come along and solved it.”

He sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands. He felt like all his hard work had been for nothing.

But then he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He reminded himself that the whole point of mathematics was to solve problems and make new discoveries. And if someone else had solved his theorem, then that meant that the field was advancing.

He stood up and walked over to the window. He looked out at the world and smiled.

“Maybe it’s time for me to start working on something new,” he said to himself. “Something even greater than my theorem.”

And with that thought in mind, Pythagoras returned to his desk and began working on his next great discovery.
 
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