Babylonians understood the Pythagorean theorem over a millennium before Pythagoras

Babylonians knew the Pythagorean theorem over 1,000 years before Pythagoras. New evidence suggests ancient Babylonians had this mathematical knowledge much earlier. Clay tablets from 1900-1600 BC show calculations based on the theorem. Babylonians also understood square roots of 2, an early irrational number. The theorem is named after Pythagoras because his students attributed all discoveries to him, spreading his fame orally. This led to the theorem being associated with him despite its earlier Babylonian origins.