Pythagorean theorem, the well-known geometric theorem that the sum of the squares on the legs of a right triangle is equal to the square on the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle)—or, in familiar algebraic notation, a2 + b2 = c2.
The Pythagorean theorem consists of a formula a^2+b^2=c^2 which is used to figure out the value of (mostly) the hypotenuse in a right triangle. The a and b are the 2 "non-hypotenuse" sides of the triangle (Opposite and Adjacent).