The Pythagorean Theorem

This excellent biography of the theorem is like a history of thought written in lines and circles, moving from ancient clay tablets to Einstein's blackboards... There is something intoxicating about seeing one truth revealed in so many ways. It all makes for hours of glorious mathematical distraction. -- Ben Longstaff New Scientist [The Pythagorean Theorem] is aimed at the reader with an interest in the history of mathematics. It should also appeal to most well-educated people...It is a story based on a theme and guided by a timeline...As a popular account of important ideas and their development, the book should be read by anyone with a good education. It deserves to succeed. -- Peter M. Neumann Times Higher Education Supplement Based on this recent book, Maor just keeps getting better. Already recognized for his excellent books on infinity, the number e, and trigonometry, Maor offers this new work as a comprehensive overview of the Pythagorean Theorem...If one has never read a book by Eli Maor, this book is a great place to start. -- J. Johnson Choice Maor expertly tells the story of how this simple theorem known to schoolchildren is part and parcel of much of mathematics itself... Even mathematically savvy readers will gain insights into the inner workings and beauty of mathematics. -- Amy Shell-Gellasch MAA Reviews Maor's book is a concise history of the Pythagorean theorem, including the mathematicians, cultures, and people influenced by it. The work is well written and supported by several proofs and exampled from Chinese, Arabic, and European sources the document how these unique cultures came to understand and apply the Pythagorean theorem. [The book] provides thoughtful commentary on the historical connections this fascinating theorem has to many cultures and people. -- Michael C. Fish Mathematics Teacher This book will make for good supplementary reading for high school students, high school teachers, and those with a general interest in mathematics... The author's enthusiasm for his subject is evident throughout the book. -- James J. Tattersull Mathematical Reviews This book goes beyond the theorem and its proofs to set it beautifully in the context of its time and subsequent history. -- Eric S. Rosenthal Mathematics Magazine This is an excellent book on the history of the Pythagorean Theorem... This book is suitable to any student who has basic knowledge of calculus but the layperson will also find it interesting... Maor has an exceptional method of writing very technical mathematics in a seamlessly way. -- Kuldeep Mathematics and My Diary