Two girls prove the Pythagorean Theorem in a new way

Two high school students from New Orleans, Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson, have amazed the math world by proving the Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry—a method that was thought impossible for 2,000 years! They came up with their proof during a math competition in 2022 at their school, St. Mary’s Academy.

The competition asked students to find a new way to prove the famous math rule, which says that in a right triangle, the square of the longest side (called the hypotenuse) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Calcea and Ne’Kiya were excited to try for the $500 prize. They worked together for two months, figuring out how to solve the problem using trigonometry, which is all about angles and their relationships.

Their work was a big deal because only one other person, Jason Zimba, had used trigonometry to prove this theorem before, back in 2009. Calcea and Ne’Kiya were the second to do it—and it was something many mathematicians thought was impossible!

Although they faced challenges, like throwing away crumpled papers when ideas didn’t work, they kept going. “I need to finish what I started,” Ne’Kiya said. Their teacher, Michelle Blouin Williams, didn’t think any students would solve the problem, but she encouraged them to present their proof at a big math conference. When they did, their presentation was a huge hit. “It was insane, unexpected, crazy!” Calcea said.

Their amazing achievement even got the attention of former First Lady Michelle Obama, who posted a message cheering them on. “Way to go, Ne’Kiya and Calcea! I’m rooting for you,” she wrote.

Now, Calcea and Ne’Kiya have shown that with determination and creativity, even high school students can make big discoveries in math.

Source: https://womensagenda.com.au/

_{Date of publication: 16 November 2024}