Beyond Pythagoras

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Beyond Pythagoras

What this coursework has asked me to do is to investigate and find a

generalisation, for a family of Pythagorean triples. This will include

odd numbers and even numbers.

I am going to investigate a family of right-angled triangles for which

all the lengths are positive integers and the shortest is an odd

number.

I am going to check that the Pythagorean triples (5,12,13) and

(7,24,25) cases work; and then spot a connection between the middle

and longest sides.

The first case of a Pythagorean triple I will look at is:

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[IMAGE][IMAGE][IMAGE]The numbers 5, 12 and 13 satisfy the connection.

5² + 12² = 13²

25 + 144 = 169

169 = 13

The second case of a Pythagorean triple I will look at is:

[IMAGE][IMAGE]The numbers 7, 24 and 25 satisfy the connection.

7² + 24² = 25²

[IMAGE][IMAGE][IMAGE]49 + 576 = 625

625 = 25

There is a connection between the middle and longest side. This is

that there is a one number difference.

So if M= middle and L= longest

L = M + 1

I am going to use the triples, (3,4,5), (5,12,13) and (7,24,25) to

find other triples. Then I will put my results in a table and look for

a pattern that will occur. I will then try and predict the next

results in the table and prove it.

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[IMAGE]

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n

Smallest

O

Middle

O

Longest

O

1

3

4

5

2

5

12

13

3

7

24

25

There is a clear pattern between the middle and longest side.

There is also a sequence forming.

n = 1 S = 3 M = 4 L = 5

n = 2 S = 5 M = 12 L = 13

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