Another Greek Myth

by Liberty and Power

The opening of the Olympics mentioned another myth; that Pythagoras invented the mathematics theorum named after him in the West. Chinese mathematicians had developed it about 500 years earlier, and it was tranmitted across the Persian Empire into the Greek world. Pythagoras was more Persian than Greek anyway, wearing the Persian trousers, living in the Asia minor area, and the leader of the aristocratic conspiracy which hated Greek democracy and science.

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Aeon J. Skoble - 8/16/2004

Why the private exchange? Rod's not the only one who'd be interested in your answer.

William Marina - 8/15/2004

Please write to me at marina@fau.edu

Roderick T. Long - 8/14/2004

Three questions:

Can you give me a citation/source for the Chinese having the Pythagorean theorem 500 years earlier?

Also, did they have it as a *theorem*, or only as an empirical generalisation?

And in what sense did the Pythagoreans hate Greek science?