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ERIC Number: EJ769552
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
Reference Count: 7
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0730-8639
Counting Primitive Pythagorean Triples
Ayoub, Ayoub B.
Mathematics and Computer Education, v39 n1 p37-41 Win 2005
A triple (x,y,z) of natural numbers is called a Primitive Pythagorean Triple (PPT) if it satisfies two conditions: (1) x[squared] + y[squared] = z[squared]; and (2) x, y, and z have no common factor other than one. All the PPT's are given by the parametric equations: (1) x = m[squared] - n[squared]; (2) y = 2mn; and (3) z = m[squared] + n[squared], where m and n are relatively prime natural numbers, not both odd, and m greater than n. As a result of the constraints imposed on m and n, x will be an odd number, y will be an even number of the form 4l, and z will be an odd number of the form 4k + 1. This article will address the following questions: (1) How many PPT's have the same x?; (2) How many PPT's have the same y?; and (3) How many PPT's have the same z?. As this article will show, the answers depend on the prime factorization of x, y, and z, respectively.
MATYC Journal Inc. Mathematics and Computer Education, P.O. Box 158, Old Bethpage, NY 11804. Tel: 516-822-5475; Web site: http://www.macejournal.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A