Pythagoras of Samos

Greek philosopher and mathematician who founded a religious-mathematical brotherhood at Croton in southern Italy. Attributed with the theorem bearing his name — that the square on the hypotenuse of a right triangle equals the sum of squares on the other two sides — he and his followers also discovered that musical harmonics correspond to simple numerical ratios, founding the mathematical study of music. His doctrine that 'all is number' influenced Plato, Euclid, and the entire Western intellectual tradition.

• Lived: 570 BCE – 495 BCE
• Nationality: greek
• Roles: mathematician, philosopher