«Listen, and you will be wise. The beginning of wisdom is silence.»
Pythagoras of Samos (c. 570–495 BCE) was a Greek mathematician, philosopher, and spiritual leader whose legacy resonates to this day.
He founded a mysterious community in Crotona, Italy, where he taught a philosophy centered on the pursuit of harmony and the understanding of numbers and the laws of the universe.
Pythagoras formulated the famous theorem bearing his name and emphasized the significance of numbers in nature and music.
His community cultivated discipline and self-control but also attracted adversaries, leading eventually to his exile and the dissolution of the school.
The influence of Pythagoras on mathematics and philosophy endures to this day.
Did you know…?
Pythagoras’ most renowned contribution is the famous theorem that bears his name, but his input to knowledge extended beyond that.
He asserted that «everything is number» and believed that all could be expressed in mathematical terms.
In fact, he considered music as another expression of mathematics. Moreover, he thought that the harmony of music had healing powers and used it in therapies.
Pythagoras and his followers kept a secret. They had discovered the existence of irrational numbers but did not want anyone to know. They thought that everything could be expressed with whole numbers or fractions, and irrational numbers with their infinite decimals contradicted their own theses.
He was always searching for perfect numbers. These are numbers that are equal to the sum of their proper divisors. For example, 6, as it is the sum of 1, 2, and 3. There are very few perfect numbers; in the first 30 million numbers, there are only 4 perfect ones.
Geometric connections were very important for this school, as they were the expression of mathematics in the real world. Therefore, they thoroughly studied triangles and their properties, or even perfect numbers.
Pythagoras was a great traveler for his time, always eager for knowledge. He visited Arabia, Egypt, Judea, Phoenicia, Babylon, and even India.
Learn with Pitágoras
Practical Mathematics
The Greeks had a very practical approach to mathematics, which helped them better navigate the world and solve everyday problems.
The Era
Pythagoras lived in an exciting time that helps us understand the functioning of our current society and culture.
Comtemporaries
We can explore the interesting contributions of Thales of Miletus, Heraclitus of Ephesus, Parmenides of Elea, etc.
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