≥ Hippasus of Metapontum Hippasus of Metapontum was the disciple of Pythagoras to whom is attributed the discovery that √2 is an irrational number, thus proving the existence of irrational numbers. Pythagoras could not disprove the existence of irrational numbers through logic but his beliefs would not allow for them or the implication that all numbers are not ratios of integers and thus absolute. It is also said that after √2 was proven to be irrational the Pythagoreans threw Hippasus of Metapontum into the sea to his death. |
