# B Which Pythagorean triples did the Sumerians know?

#### matqkks

Where they aware of 3,4 and 5; 5, 12 and 13?

#### jedishrfu

Mentor
I would say yes based on the clay table of pythag triplets shown in this presentation:

Check at slides 33-35 or thereabouts. It's a pretty cool presentation.

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#### fresh_42

Mentor
2018 Award
From Wikipedia:

The cuneiform Plimpton 322 contains 15 different Pythagorean triples, e. g. $(56,90,106)\, , \, (119,120,169)\, , \, (12709, 13500, 18541)$, which suggests that more than $3,500$ years ago a method of calculating such triples was already known.

#### fresh_42

Mentor
2018 Award
Btw., Wikipedia mentions Babylonians, not Sumerians. Those are not identical. The Sumerer developed the cuneiform, the Babylonians adapted it and followed the reign of the Sumerians.

#### matqkks

I would say yes based on the clay table of pythag triplets shown in this presentation:

Check at slides 33-35 or thereabouts. It's a pretty cool presentation.
Thanks. Much appreciated.

#### matqkks

From Wikipedia:

The cuneiform Plimpton 322 contains 15 different Pythagorean triples, e. g. $(56,90,106)\, , \, (119,120,169)\, , \, (12709, 13500, 18541)$, which suggests that more than $3,500$ years ago a method of calculating such triples was already known.
Thanks for this information. Very relevant to my question.

#### mathman

Plimpton 322 dates around 1800 B.C. long after the Sumerians.

"Which Pythagorean triples did the Sumerians know?"

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