ERIC Number: EJ992372
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0819-4564
EISSN: N/A
Pythagoras' Garden, Revisited
Bernhart, Frank R.; Price, H. Lee
Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, v26 n1 p29-40 2012
Mack and Czernezkyj (2010) have given an interesting account of primitive Pythagorean triples (PPTs) from a geometrical perspective. In this article, the authors wish to enlarge on the role of the equicircles (incircle and three excircles), and show there is yet another family tree in Pythagoras' garden. Where Mack and Czernezkyj (2010) begin with four equicircles, the authors begin with four tangent circles, attached to the corners of a rectangle based on the right triangle. Reflecting these circles in a certain line results in a congruent tangent cluster, having the same six points of tangency, orthogonal to the first four, and ultimately revealed as (jostled) equicircles! They then develop three celebrated families of triples by elementary means, and tinker with the sequencing rules until the classic Pythagorean family tree magically appears. Using a favourite set of four parameters to identify and tag triples, they find more circle secrets. (Contains 7 figures.)
Descriptors: Geometry, Geometric Concepts, Mathematics Instruction, Equations (Mathematics), Mathematical Formulas, Secondary School Mathematics, College Mathematics
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT). GPO Box 1729, Adelaide 5001, South Australia. Tel: +61-8-8363-0288; Fax: +61-8-8362-9288; e-mail: office@aamt.edu.au; Web site: http://www.aamt.edu.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A