<P> Pythagoreans discovered that the diagonal of a square is incommensurable with its side , or in modern language , that the square root of two is irrational . Little is known with certainty about the time or circumstances of this discovery , but the name of Hippasus of Metapontum is often mentioned . For a while , the Pythagoreans treated as an official secret the discovery that the square root of two is irrational , and , according to legend , Hippasus was murdered for divulging it . The square root of two is occasionally called `` Pythagoras ' number '' or `` Pythagoras ' constant '' , for example by Conway & Guy ( 1996 ) . </P>
<P> Pythagoreans discovered that the diagonal of a square is incommensurable with its side , or in modern language , that the square root of two is irrational . Little is known with certainty about the time or circumstances of this discovery , but the name of Hippasus of Metapontum is often mentioned . For a while , the Pythagoreans treated as an official secret the discovery that the square root of two is irrational , and , according to legend , Hippasus was murdered for divulging it . The square root of two is occasionally called `` Pythagoras ' number '' or `` Pythagoras ' constant '' , for example by Conway & Guy ( 1996 ) . </P>
who proved that square root of 2 is irrational
who proved that square root of 2 is irrational
Pythagoreans
Pythagoreans