Visualisation in ancient times: Sum of squares

Let's go back in time for about 2500 years and let's have a look at visually stunning concepts of Pythagorean arithmetic.

Here's a visual proof of

\begin{align*} \left(1^2+2^2+3^2\dots+n^2\right)=\frac{1}{3}(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n) \end{align*}

The Pythagoreans used pebbles arranged in a rectangle and linked them with the help of so-called gnomons (sticks) in a clever way. The big rectangle contains $$(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n)$$ pebbles. One third of the pebbles is red, two-thirds are blue. The blue thirds contain squares with

$$1\cdot1, 2\cdot2, \dots,n\cdot n$$

pebbles. Dismantling the blue squares into their gnomons shows that they appear in the red part. According to Oscar Becker: Grundlagen der Mathematik this proof was already known to the Babylonians (but also originated from hellenic times).

Visualisation in ancient times: Sum of squares

Let's go back in time for about 2500 years and let's have a look at visually stunning concepts of Pythagorean arithmetic.

Here's a visual proof of

\begin{align*} \left(1^2+2^2+3^2\dots+n^2\right)=\frac{1}{3}(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n) \end{align*}

The Pythagoreans used pebbles arranged in a rectangle and linked them with the help of so-called gnomons (sticks) in a clever way. The big rectangle contains $$(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n)$$ pebbles. One third of the pebbles is red, two-thirds are blue. The blue thirds contain squares with

$$1\cdot1, 2\cdot2, \dots,n\cdot n$$

pebbles. Dismantling the blue squares into their gnomons shows that they appear in the red part. According to Oscar Becker: Grundlagen der Mathematik this proof was already known to the Babylonians (but also originated from hellenic times).

Visualisation in ancient times: Sum of squares

Let's go back in time for about 2500 years and let's have a look at visually stunning concepts of Pythagorean arithmetic.

Here's a visual proof of

\begin{align*} \left(1^2+2^2+3^2\dots+n^2\right)=\frac{1}{3}(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n) \end{align*}

The Pythagoreans used pebbles arranged in a rectangle and linked them with the help of so-called gnomons (sticks) in a clever way. The big rectangle contains $$(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n)$$ pebbles. One third of the pebbles is grey, two-thirds are black. The black thirds contain squares with

$$1\cdot1, 2\cdot2, \dots,n\cdot n$$

pebbles. Dismantling the black squares into their gnomons shows that they appear in the grey part. According to Oscar Becker: Grundlagen der Mathematik this proof was already known to the Babylonians (but also originated from hellenic times).

Visualisation in ancient times: Sum of squares

Let's go back in time for about 2500 years and let's have a look at visually stunning concepts of Pythagorean arithmetic.

Here's a visual proof of

\begin{align*} \left(1^2+2^2+3^2\dots+n^2\right)=\frac{1}{3}(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n) \end{align*}

The Pythagoreans used pebbles arranged in a rectangle and linked them with the help of so-called gnomons (sticks) in a clever way. The big rectangle contains $$(1+2n)(1+2+3\dots+n)$$ pebbles. One third of the pebbles is red, two-thirds are blue. The blue thirds contain squares with

$$1\cdot1, 2\cdot2, \dots,n\cdot n$$

pebbles. Dismantling the blue squares into their gnomons shows that they appear in the red part. According to Oscar Becker: Grundlagen der Mathematik this proof was already known to the Babylonians (but also originated from hellenic times).