PythagoreanTriples.java

public class PythagoreanTriples {

/*
    "In a right angled triangle, the square on the hypotenuse is equal to
    the sum of the squares on the other two sides." - Pythagoras' Theorem.
*/

    /**
    *   Program:    PythagoreanTriples.java
    *   Purpose:    Calculate series of right-angled triangles
    *   Creator     Chris Clarke
    *   Created:    09.04.2014
    *   Note:       This formula in this code finds some, but not all triples.
    *           See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formulas_for_generating_Pythagorean_triples
    */

    private static long a=3L, b=4L, c=5L;

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        System.out.println("Triangles with the following length sides are right-angled:");

        while (a>0) {
            a = calcSides(a);
        } // end while

    } // end main()

    public static long calcSides(long a) {
    // given a, calculate b and c and display them all

        // calculate new values
        b = (a*a-1)/2;
        c = b+1;

        if (c<0) {  // exceeded maximum long number, become negative
            return -1;
        } // end if

        // print sides of right-angled triangle
        //System.out.println(a+" ^2 + "+b+" ^2 = "+c+" ^2");
        System.out.println(a+", "+b+", "+c);
        return c; // seed for next calcSides

    } // end calcSides()

} // end class PythagoreanTriples