In right-angled triangles the square on the side subtending the right angle is equal to the squares on the sides containing the right angle.
      Let ABC be a right-angled triangle
      having the angle
      BAC right;
      I say that the square on BC
      is equal to the squares on
      BA, AC.
     
      For let  there be described on BC
      the square BDEC,
      and on BA,
      AC the squares
      GB, HC;
      
      [I. 46]
      
      through A let
      AL be drawn parallel to either
      BD or CE,
      and let AD, FC
      be joined.
     
      Then, since each of the angles
      BAC, BAG
      is right, if follows that with a straight line
      BA, and at the point
      A on it, the two straight lines
      AC, AG
      not lying on the same side make the adjacent angles equal to two right
      angles;
      therefore CA is in a straight line with
      AG.
      
      [I. 14]
      
     
      For the same reason
      BA is also in a straight line
      with AH.
     
      And, since the angle DBC
      is equal to the angle FBA: for
      each is right:
      let the angle ABC
      be added to each;
      therefore the whole angle DBA
      is equal to the whole angle
      FBC.
      
      [C.N. 2]
      
     
      And, since DB is equal to
      BC, and
      FB to
      BA,
      the two sides AB,
      BD are equal to the two sides
      FB, BC
      respectively;
      and the angle ABD is equal to
      the angle FBC;
      therefore the base AD is equal to
      the base FC,
      and the triangle ABD is equal to
      the triangle FBC.
      
      [I. 4]
      
     
      Now the parallelogram BL
      is double of the triangle ABD,
      for they have the same base BD
      and are in the same parallels
      BD, AL.
      
      [I. 41]
      
      And the square GB is double of the
      triangle FBC,
      for they again have the same base FB
      and are in the same parallels.
      FB, GC
      
      [I. 41]
      
      [But the doubles of equals are equal to one another.]
      Therefore the parallelogram BL
      is also equal to the square
      GB.
     
      Similarly, if
      AE, BK
      be joined,
      the parallelogram CL can also be
      proved equal to the
      square HC;
      therefore the whole square BDEC
      is equal to the two
      squares GB, HC.
      
      [C.N. 2]
      
      And the square BDEC
      is described on BC,
      and the squares
      GB, HC
      on BA, AC.
     
Therefore the square on the side BC is equal to the squares on the sides BA, AC.
Therefore etc. Q.E.D.
Book I: Euclid, Elements, Book I (ed. Sir Thomas L. Heath 1st Edition, 1908)
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