Pythagorean Theorem

I remember learning the Pythagorean Theorem in high school.  I was in freshman geometry.  My class learned the formula a² + b² = c² where a and b are the lengths of the sides of the triangle and c is the length of the hypotenuse.  We were required to memorize it and use the theorem when necessary throughout the rest of the class.  I never really learned why this is a math formula, just the letters and how to use it. 

Since my current math class is revisiting the Pythagorean Theorem, I decided to do a little research into the discovery of this mathematical rule.  I found an article about the theorem.  It was written by Stephanie Morris from the University of Georgia.  She wrote that the Babylonians were the first civilization to discover a special relationship between the measurements of a right triangle.  (I found this same belief in other articles though, so I'm going to consider it accurate.)  Although we all learn the Pythagorean Theorem with letter substitutes, the original theorem was stated "The area of the square built upon the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares upon the remaining sides".  I'm so glad they condensed it to the formula used today!

Here is the article I found: The Pythagorean Theorem by Stephanie Morris