What is wheel of theodorus?

The Wheel of Theodorus is a geometrical construction that is used to visualize the square root of irrational numbers. It was first described by the ancient Greek mathematician Theodorus of Cyrene.

The construction involves creating a sequence of right triangles with side lengths of 1 and the square root of a given irrational number. By arranging these triangles in a spiral, the shape resembles a wheel, hence the name "Wheel of Theodorus".

The Wheel of Theodorus can be used as a visual aid to understand the concept of irrational numbers and the relationship between the square root of a number and its corresponding value on the number line.

The construction of the Wheel of Theodorus also has applications in geometry and can be used to introduce students to geometric concepts such as Pythagorean triples, the Pythagorean theorem, and the properties of irrational numbers.