If you have ever done mathematics you must have come across his work. He is Pythagoras of Samos, a famous Greek philosopher, and mathematician!
Did you know that the mathematics we use, from the basic arithmetic you use to buy something and collect your change to advanced mathematics used in designing space ships and rockets, were created by humans like you and me?
Since the beginning of mankind, there have been those exceptional minds that have done great things that even centuries after they have passed away we still remember them for their great gifts to mankind.
In mathematics and other fields of study, there are many of such great minds but for now, let's look at 10 notable contributions of Pythagoras both in mathematics and other fields.
Pythagoras of Samos
And then one of the most popular names in mathematics, Pythagoras! It is impossible to say you ever did math in school and didn't come across his works!
From primary school mathematics, you must have come across the Pythagoras theorem for solving a right-angled triangle, yeah? He is the man that made it that simple!
Is that all? No way! Here are some of the things the Greek philosopher is notable for:
Notable Contributions of Pythagoras
1. Communalism
Pythagoras' followers lived in tightly-knit communities where property was shared, decisions were collective, and members followed strict rules of conduct, study, and lifestyle.
2. Metempsychosis
The belief in the transmigration of souls, that after death, a soul is reborn into another body, human or animal. This idea shaped the Pythagoreans' ethics and lifestyle choices.
3. Musica Universalis (Music of the Spheres)
The idea that the celestial bodies (planets, stars) move according to mathematical ratios that produce a kind of cosmic "music," inaudible to humans but reflecting universal harmony.
4. Five Climactic Zones
A Pythagorean-influenced model dividing Earth into five horizontal climate zones: two frigid (polar), two temperate, and one torrid (equatorial) zone.
5. Five Regular Solids
Pythagoreans studied the five Platonic solids (tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron), regarding them as fundamental geometric forms connected to the structure of the universe.
6. Proportions
The discovery of numerical relationships that create harmony, especially ratios in music (like 2:1 or 3:2), and applied proportional reasoning to geometry, art, and cosmic order.
7. Pythagorean Theorem
The famous geometric rule: in a right triangle, the square on the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares on the other two sides. Pythagoras didn't invent it, but his school formalized and proved it.
8. Pythagorean Tuning
A musical tuning system based on stacking pure perfect fifths (3:2 ratio) to generate the notes of the scale. It creates very harmonious intervals but doesn't fit perfectly into octaves.
9. Sphericity of the Earth
Pythagoreans were among the first to argue that the Earth is spherical, not flat, based on the belief that the sphere is the most perfect geometric shape.
10. Vegetarianism
Because of metempsychosis (souls can reincarnate in animals), Pythagoras taught avoidance of killing and eating animals, making him one of the earliest advocates of ethical vegetarianism.
Learn More About Pythagoras
Other great mathematicians
If you are a primary or secondary school student then Pythagoras must be quite a familiar name. But in mathematics there are many geniuses, some rated much higher than Pythagoras of Samos! See this article of the greatest mathematicians of all time!
