Students Discover Unexpected Proof For 2,000-year-old Mathematical Theory
Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson, two high school students from Louisiana, made headlines by proving the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry, a method previously deemed impossible due to circular reasoning. Their journey began with a high school math contest, where they were challenged to find a new proof for the theorem. Encouraged by a volunteer at their school, they presented their findings at the American Mathematical Society’s Southeastern Sectional conference in 2023, becoming the youngest presenters at the event.