Einstein's Most Excellent Proof

http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/EinsteinsMostExcellentProof/

The Wolfram Demonstrations Project contains thousands of free interactive visualizations, with new entries added daily.

According to his autobiography, a preteen Albert Einstein divised a new proof of the Pythagorean theorem based on the properties of similar triangles. Many known proofs use similarity arguments, but this one is notable for its elegance, simplicity, and ...

Contributed by: John Kiehl

Category:

Education

Tags:

• wolfram
• mathematica
• demonstrations
• interactive
• visualization
• Pythagorean
• Theorem
• Geometry
• Euclidean
• Thales'
• Albert
• Einstein
• Geometric
• Similarity
• Proof
• Radio
• Button
• Bar
• Rotate[]
• free
• math
• computer
• science

[kabivose]

@riccardodamianocarlo It looks like the proof I've seen attributed to the Sumerians about 1000 years earlier. Doubtless many people through the ages have discovered this proof but discovering it at the age of 12 is still pretty impressive! :-)

[riccardodamianocarlo]

may be Einstein found this proof by himself, but the same proof is in the Element of Euclid, book VI n. 31. It states the result for any shape you draw on the sides.

[usergroupX]

... at 12... I was playing with dirt and sticks

[nukedoom3000]

@anticorncob6 According to his autobiography, he did it when he was 12.

[anticorncob6]

If Einstein is the one who did this, then it is definetely not his "best" proof.