Pythagoras • Mathematician app for iPhone and iPad

With this app students learn about the life and contributions to mathematics made by Pythagoras and his followers. It discusses the discoveries in geometry and number theory that are attributed to Pythagoras. It shows why he deserves the title Father of Mathematics.

Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician and philosopher, but he spent most of his life living in Italy. He was born on the island of Samos, near the eastern coastline of what is now Turkey. Using this app students will discover some of the important contributions to math that originated either with Pythagoras or his disciples.

One of Pythagoras most significant ideas is today known as the Pythagorean Theorem. It describes the relationship of the sides of a right triangle and is simplified in the expression: a² + b² = c².

With this app students learn about the lifestyle and philosophy attributed to the Pythagoreans. One of the beliefs that this group held was that numbers had mystical qualities. The group studied patterns and discovered many important relationships. For example, Pythagorean Triples are sets of numbers that can be used to describe the sides of a right triangle as in (3, 4, 5) or (7, 24, 25).

Students will enjoy using this graphically illustrated, interactive learning tool. The map feature presents key locations in the ancient Greek world and tapping on map points brings up descriptions of each places significance. A quiz function helps students demonstrate their comprehension of the reading material. Pythagoras ideas are shown in colorful illustrations. We hope this app will inspire students to study math and science. The app shows that Pythagoras certainly deserves the title Father of Mathematics.