MHB History of Sum of Squares: Pythagoras & Beyond

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the historical origins of the sum of squares of integers, with a particular focus on its connection to Pythagorean triples. Pythagoras is noted as a significant figure in this area, as his work laid the groundwork for understanding these mathematical concepts. The conversation suggests exploring additional resources, such as Wikipedia and the book "History of the Theory of Numbers," for more in-depth information. The relationship between the sum of squares and Pythagorean triples is emphasized as a key aspect of this mathematical history. Overall, the inquiry highlights the importance of historical context in understanding the development of mathematical theories.
Amer
Messages
259
Reaction score
0
I would like to know some history on the subject like who is the first to think about sum of squares of integers and what he/she was thinking about. I think maybe it is related to Pythagorean triples. Thanks
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Amer said:
I would like to know some history on the subject like who is the first to think about sum of squares of integers and what he/she was thinking about. I think maybe it is related to Pythagorean triples. Thanks

Hi Amer,

A small bit of history about this is given in the following Wikipedia article and perhaps by following the links to the references (such as the book "History of the theory of Numbers") you might be able to learn more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermat's_theorem_on_sums_of_two_squares
 
Suppose ,instead of the usual x,y coordinate system with an I basis vector along the x -axis and a corresponding j basis vector along the y-axis we instead have a different pair of basis vectors ,call them e and f along their respective axes. I have seen that this is an important subject in maths My question is what physical applications does such a model apply to? I am asking here because I have devoted quite a lot of time in the past to understanding convectors and the dual...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...

Similar threads

Replies
38
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
0
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Back
Top