bad pun

[2eclipse]

Three squaws were each preparing for the birth of their first child.


The first squaw placed a large bear hide by a river, the second squaw placed an elk hide by a tree by a river, and the third squaw placed a hippopotamus hide by a path, near the river and the tree so that the three formed a triangle.



It just so happens that all three women gave birth on the same day. The first squaw on the bear hide had a 5-lb son, the second squaw on the elk hide had a 6-lb son, and the third squaw on the hippopotamus hide had an 11-lb son.



To this day, mathematicians credit these three women with the first proof of the Pythagorean Theorem:



"The son of the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the two adjacent hides." 

 

Comments

[queenlyzard.livejournal.com]

ah yes-- I remember that one from high school! it only makes sense once you've taken Algebra.

[2eclipse.livejournal.com]

euclidean geometry actually. this is the pythagorean theorum and is demonstrable without using any numbers.

[queenlyzard.livejournal.com]

er, yeah. That. It's been a long time since I took a math class!