In a right triangle, the hypotenuse is the side of the triangle which is opposite the right angle. It is also the longest side of the triangle. The other two sides are sometimes called the "legs" of the right triangle. The Greek word hupoteinousa, from which we derive "hypotenuse," means, roughly, a stretched cord, invoking the image of a rope stretched tightly between two stakes in the ground. The hypotenuse plays an essential role in what is perhaps the most famous of all mathematical theorems, the Pythagorean Theorem. This theorem, attributed to the Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras (c 569-c 475 BC), states that if the legs of a right triangle are denoted by a and b and the hypotenuse by c, then c²=a²+b², or, in English, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. The hypotenuse...