For many of us, the mere words “Pythagoras’s theorem” are enough to revive pencil-smudged exercise books and desperate attempts to copy classmates’ work. And yet, it turns out the name that has struck dread in countless school kids over the centuries is about as accurate as this writer’s attempts at geometry. Because although it is assumed that the legendary Greek philosopher Pythagoras himself was to thank for the equation a2 + b2 = c2, it turns out it was being used some 1,000 years before his time. Archaeologists have found the equation on a Babylonian tablet which was used for teaching back in 1770 BCE – centuries before Pythagoras’s birth in around 570 BC, as IFL Science notes. Another earlier tablet, from between 1800 and 1600 BC, even features a square with labelled triangles inside. Translations of the markings, which followed the base 60 counting system used by ancient Babylonians, prove that these mathematicians were familiar with Pythagorean theorem (although, obviously, they didn’t call it that) as well as other advanced mathematical principles. In a paper dedicated to the discovery, data scientist Bruce Ratner wrote: "The conclusion is inescapable. The Babylonians knew the relation between the length of the diagonal of a square and its side: d=square root of 2. "This was probably the first number known to be irrational. However, this in turn means that they were familiar with the Pythagorean Theorem – or, at the very least, with its special case for the diagonal of a square [...] more than a thousand years before the great sage for whom it was named." And yet, one key problem remains unsolved: why did the equation become equated with the famous Greek? Well, most likely because Pythagoras wanted it to be. In his paper, Ratner points out that although the Ionian icon is widely considered the first bonafide mathematician, little is known about his specific mathematical achievements. Unlike his successors, he didn’t write any books that we know of, so there’s no written evidence of his work. However, we do have proof that he founded a semi-religious school called the Semicircle of Pythagoras, which followed a strict code of secrecy. As Ratner explained: “Pythagorean knowledge was passed on from one generation to the next by word of mouth, as writing material was scarce. Moreover, out of respect for their leader, many of the discoveries made by the Pythagoreans were attributed to Pythagoras himself. “Consequently, of Pythagoras’ actual work nothing is known. On the other hand, his school practiced collectivism, making it hard to distinguish between the work of Pythagoras and that of his followers. “Therefore, the true discovery of a particular Pythagorean result may never be known.” Still, he stressed, even though Pythagoras wasn’t the brains behind the most famous formula in maths, he does deserve a little credit for putting it on the map. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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F1 driver Esteban Ocon has revealed he was “throwing up” during the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday 8 October. Humidity, 40C temperatures and high-speed corners made the race incredibly tough for the drivers, with Lando Norris also calling the conditions “too dangerous”. After finishing seventh in the race for Alpine, Ocon explained that he was sick over the course of two laps - something that has “never happened” in the past. “I was throwing up by lap 15, 16. For two laps I think,” Ocon told Sky Sports. “I was doing that and thinking ‘s***, it’s going to be a long one’. I managed to get it under control just mentally and just focus on what I’ve got to try and do.” Read More Mikel Arteta hails ‘fantastic’ young Arsenal side as they break Man City hex Sir Alex Ferguson praises wife Cathy as he reveals ‘she sacrificed everything for me’ Ryder Cup venue engulfed by raging fire as smoke fills air in drone footage

It will be undisputed vs undisputed in Las Vegas tonight, as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defends his super-middleweight belts against Jermell Charlo. Canelo, 33, is looking for a third successful title defence in a row, having outpointed John Ryder in May and old rival Gennady Golovkin 12 months ago. FOLLOW LIVE: Canelo vs Charlo – latest fight updates and results Prior to those victories, the Mexican suffered a points defeat by Dmitry Bivol in a light-heavyweight title fight in May 2022. A week after that bout, Charlo stopped Brian Castano to retain the undisputed super-welterweight titles, after the pair fought to a draw in 2021. Charlo’s twin brother Jermall was expected to box Canelo here, but the WBC middleweight champion’s two-year absence from the ring continues instead. As such, it is the (minute-)younger of the Americans, 33, who will challenge Canelo. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? The fight will take place on Saturday 30 September, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 1 October (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). Ring walks for the main event are then expected at 4am BST on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? In the UK and Ireland, the event will stream live on DAZN. You can purchase a subscription to the streaming platform here. In the US, the fights will air live on Showtime pay-per-view at a cost of $84.99. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds Canelo – 30/100 Charlo – 3/1 Draw – 18/1 Full odds via Betway. • Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (C) vs Jermell Charlo (WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF super-middleweight titles) Yordenis Ugas vs Mario Barrios (WBC interim welterweight title) Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr vs Erickson Lubin (super-welterweight) Elijah Garcia vs Jose Armando Resendiz (middleweight) Frank Sanchez vs Scott Alexander (heavyweight) Gabriel Valenzuela vs Yeis Gabriel Solano (super-lightweight) Terrell Gausha vs KeAndrae Leatherwood (middleweight) Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs Isaac Rodrigues (light-heavyweight) Curmel Moton vs Ezequiel Flores (super-featherweight) Justin Viloria vs Angel Barrera (super-featherweight) Bek Nurmaganbet vs Abimbola Osundairo (super-middleweight) Abilkhan Amankul vs Joeshon James (middleweight) Read More The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Eddie Hearn: ‘Ask someone to name three people in boxing, they’ll say: Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, me’ The hidden side of Jake Paul What time does Canelo vs Charlo start in UK and US tonight? How to watch Canelo vs Charlo online and on TV tonight The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

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