Hypotenuse in the context of "Algebraic number"

In mathematics, the Pythagorean theorem or Pythagoras's theorem is a fundamental relation in Euclidean geometry between the three sides of a right triangle. It states that the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares on the other two sides.

The theorem can be written as an equation relating the lengths of the sides a, b and the hypotenuse c, sometimes called the Pythagorean equation:$${\displaystyle a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}.}$$The theorem is named for the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, born around 570 BC. The theorem has been proved numerous times by many different methods – possibly the most for any mathematical theorem. The proofs are diverse, including both geometric proofs and algebraic proofs, with some dating back thousands of years.

A right triangle or right-angled triangle, sometimes called an orthogonal triangle or rectangular triangle, is a triangle in which two sides are perpendicular, forming a right angle (1⁄4 turn or 90 degrees).

The side opposite to the right angle is called the hypotenuse (side ${\displaystyle c}$ in the figure). The sides adjacent to the right angle are called legs (or catheti, singular: cathetus). Side ${\displaystyle a}$ may be identified as the side adjacent to angle ${\displaystyle B}$ and opposite (or opposed to) angle ${\displaystyle A,}$ while side ${\displaystyle b}$ is the side adjacent to angle ${\displaystyle A}$ and opposite angle ${\displaystyle B.}$

In mathematics, sine and cosine are trigonometric functions of an angle. The sine and cosine of an acute angle are defined in the context of a right triangle: for the specified angle, its sine is the ratio of the length of the side opposite that angle to the length of the longest side of the triangle (the hypotenuse), and the cosine is the ratio of the length of the adjacent leg to that of the hypotenuse. For an angle ${\displaystyle \theta }$, the sine and cosine functions are denoted as ${\displaystyle \sin(\theta )}$ and ${\displaystyle \cos(\theta )}$.

The definitions of sine and cosine have been extended to any real value in terms of the lengths of certain line segments in a unit circle. More modern definitions express the sine and cosine as infinite series, or as the solutions of certain differential equations, allowing their extension to arbitrary positive and negative values and even to complex numbers.

In a right triangle, a cathetus (originally from Greek κάθετος, "perpendicular"; plural: catheti), commonly known as a leg, is either of the sides that are adjacent to the right angle. It is occasionally called a "side about the right angle". The side opposite the right angle is the hypotenuse. In the context of the hypotenuse, the catheti are sometimes referred to simply as "the other two sides".

If the catheti of a right triangle have equal lengths, the triangle is isosceles. If they have different lengths, a distinction can be made between the minor (shorter) and major (longer) cathetus. The ratio of the lengths of the catheti defines the trigonometric functions tangent and cotangent of the acute angles in the triangle: the ratio ${\displaystyle c_{1}/c_{2}}$ is the tangent of the acute angle adjacent to ${\displaystyle c_{2}}$ and is also the cotangent of the acute angle adjacent to ${\displaystyle c_{1}}$.