Who Are Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson
Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson are students at St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans, Louisiana. They gained attention for presenting a new proof of the Pythagorean theorem at the American Mathematical Society's Southeastern Sectional Meeting in 2023.
Why Their Work Matters
The Pythagorean theorem is a basic rule in geometry that relates the sides of a right triangle. Johnson and Jackson used trigonometry to create a proof that is different from standard textbook approaches. Their presentation showed how new methods can still be applied to long-standing math problems.
Where to Learn More
You can read more about their presentation and the reaction from the math community on the American Mathematical Society website at ams.org. Their work is often cited as an example of student-led research in mathematics.
