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Pythagorean Theorem Found On Clay Tablet 1,000 Years Older Than Pythagoras (www.iflscience.com)

submitted 6 months ago by Zerush@lemmy.ml to c/science@lemmy.ml

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[–] billgamesh@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

What makes you say that? I'm not an expert. Accurate geometry or not, the pyramids are pretty cool. What about them means it couldn't have been trial and error?

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/pyramid

About halfway up, however, the angle of incline decreases from over 51 degrees to about 43 degrees, and the sides rise less steeply, causing it to be known as the Bent Pyramid. The change in angle was probably made during construction to give the building more stability

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yes, the bent pyramid, but that say nothing, maybe simply a design of an bad architect. They always exist, even today.

[–] billgamesh@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

There are records of why it was bent though. It was one of the first pyramids. The king wanted it very tall and steep. he ended up being burried in a pyramid with less slope. Do you have any archeological evidence of complex geometry being used?

Again, the pyramids are an impressive feat of craftsmanship and the organization of labor, but does that mean they employed the pythagorean theorem?

They may very well have known geometry, or at least developed during the course of their civilization but I don't think the pyramids represent sufficient evidence for them definitely knowing the pythagorean theorem

edit: also if you haven't heard the podcast, i recommend it. It's pretty cool