It appears as though ancient philosopher Pythagoras (c. 570 – 495 BC) wasn’t actually the one that discovered the theorem named after him, the noted Pythagorean Theorem, but may have more of introduced it within the bounds of Europe.

Plimpton 322 (picture), a Babylonian clay tablet probably made around 1800 BC, demonstrates that Babylonians knew how to construct what is known as ‘Pythagorean triples’ around 1300 years before Pythagoras himself lived while the rule was apparently in widespread use within the Old Babylonian Empire.

The Berlin Papyrus 6619, dated as early as the Middle Kingdom and the Twelfth Dynasty (roughly 1991 to 1802 BC), suggests that Egyptians were also aware of the theorem around the same time through a mathematical problem it presents.

Furthermore, the Baudhayana Shulba Sutra in India, dated sometime between the 8th and 5th century BC, involves a list of Pythagorean triples and a statement of the theorem that deal with both the isosceles right triangle and the general case, as does the Apastamba Shulba Sutra (c. 600 BC).

It is quite likely that Pythagoras rather found out about it during the ten years he is believed to have lived in Egypt and studied under the very priests in Thebes as well as under Oenuphis in Heliopolis, said by Antiphon to have learnt Egyptian by Pharaoh Amasis II himself, where he is also thought to have studied under the Magi in Persia.