A stupid question about the Pythagorean Theorem

[Chaotic42]

Why is it a theorem? What aren't the proofs enough to make it a law?

Edit: Feel free to mock me for not knowing what the word theorem meant. :beer:

 

[Twista]

dunno, i forgot all about him. ;] Math is not my subject.. neither is english. Of course someone smart was going to add in something about english!

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: Twista
dunno, i forgot all about him. ;] Math is not my subject.. neither is english. Of course someone smart was going to add in something about english!

that is the longest nef i have ever seen

 

[Mik3y]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: Twista
dunno, i forgot all about him. ;] Math is not my subject.. neither is english. Of course someone smart was going to add in something about english!

that is the longest nef i have ever seen

amen

 

[desteffy]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Why is it a theorem? What aren't the proofs enough to make it a law?

What are you talking about? The proofs make it a theorem, thats what we call things we proove.

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: Mik3y

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: Twista
dunno, i forgot all about him. ;] Math is not my subject.. neither is english. Of course someone smart was going to add in something about english!

that is the longest nef i have ever seen

amen

:beer:

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: desteffy


What are you talking about? The proofs make it a theorem, thats what we call things we proove.

Ah, you're right.

Told you it was stupid.

 

[Chronoshock]

A theorem is a statement of how something is. A proof demonstrates why a theorem (ie a statement) is valid. There are many proofs of the pythagorean theorem, those are proofs, where as the final statement that is proved is the pythagorean theorem

 

[toekramp]

nice refresher

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Chronoshock
A theorem is a statement of how something is. A proof demonstrates why a theorem (ie a statement) is valid. There are many proofs of the pythagorean theorem, those are proofs, where as the final statement that is proved is the pythagorean theorem

So what differentiates a theorem like this from a law like the "law of cosines"?

 

[Chronoshock]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Chronoshock
A theorem is a statement of how something is. A proof demonstrates why a theorem (ie a statement) is valid. There are many proofs of the pythagorean theorem, those are proofs, where as the final statement that is proved is the pythagorean theorem

So what differentiates a theorem like this from a law like the "law of cosines"?

Well here's a better answer than I could give
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Law.html
Look around the site for a great resource for any math definitions you could ever want

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Chronoshock
Well here's a better answer than I could give
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Law.html
Look around the site for a great resource for any math definitions you could ever want

Theorem: A statement which can be demonstrated to be true by accepted mathematical operations and arguments

Law: A law is a mathematical statement which always holds true. Whereas "laws" in physics are generally experimental observations backed up by theoretical underpinning, laws in mathematics are generally theorems which can formally be proven true under the stated conditions.

Those seem to be duplicate definitions, unless it's just late. Can they be used interchangeably?

 

[jst0ney]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Chronoshock
Well here's a better answer than I could give
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Law.html
Look around the site for a great resource for any math definitions you could ever want

Theorem: A statement which can be demonstrated to be true by accepted mathematical operations and arguments

Law: A law is a mathematical statement which always holds true. Whereas "laws" in physics are generally experimental observations backed up by theoretical underpinning, laws in mathematics are generally theorems which can formally be proven true under the stated conditions.

Those seem to be duplicate definitions, unless it's just late. Can they be used interchangeably?

They are not the same.

 

[Stojakapimp]

so is the Pythagorean Theorem sometimes wrong?

 

[Sukhoi]

My interpretation is that a law is something that our entire concept of mathematics is based on. 2+2=4 or nothing else works. A theorem is just a relation between two things.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: Stojakapimp
so is the Pythagorean Theorem sometimes wrong?

It only works on right triangles IIRC.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi

Originally posted by: Stojakapimp
so is the Pythagorean Theorem sometimes wrong?

It only works on right triangles IIRC.

Isn't it defined as only working on right triangles though?