Two High Schoolers Found an 'Impossible' Proof for a 2,000-Year-Old Math Rule—Then, They Discovered Nine More | Smithsonian Magazine
Two High Schoolers Found an 'Impossible' Proof for a 2,000-Year-Old Math Rule—Then, They Discovered Nine More | Smithsonian Magazine
Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson of Louisiana published a new study proving the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry, a feat mathematicians long thought could not be done
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In the article they state:
Using trigonometry, they had to create a new proof of the Pythagorean theorem, the 2,000-year-old rule that explains the relationship between the lengths of sides on a right triangle. No one told the teenagers that mathematicians had long considered this task “impossible.”
and THEN casually mention:
Two people had previously proved the theorem using trigonometry: Jason Zimba in 2009 and Nuno Luzia in 2015.
WTF?
Well, hate to do this, but all the phrasing is in the past tense.
Considered, long thought, etc.
But, they created a NEW proof. And considering it took 2 thousand years for 2 others to do it...
So there is that.
I was just wondering the same. Plus, what kind of high school if high school offers prize money on a bonus assignment that's THOUGHT TO BE IMPOSSIBLE