Parametrization of solutions to the Pythagorean

equation
1. Given a solution (a, b, c) to x2 + y 2 = z 2 we can assume a and b are
relatively prime: to see this let d = (x, y). Then
 c 2
 a 2  b 2
+
=
d
d
d
2
2
2
a1 + b 1 = c 1
and (a1 , b1 ) = 1.
2. If a2 + b2 = c2 with (a, b) = 1 we say (a, b, c) is a fundamental
solution.
3. If (a, b, c) is a fundamental solution to x2 + y 2 = z 2 then exactly one
of a, b is even.
Proof: If both are even then 2 | (a, b) = 1 which is false. If both are
odd
a = 2n + 1, b = 2m + 1
a2 = 4(n2 + n) + 1, b2 = 4(m2 + m) + 1
so z 2 2 mod 4, which is impossible. Therefore one is even and the
other odd.
4. If (a, b, c) is a fundamental solution then c is odd.
Proof: If a is even and b odd then a2 + b2 1 mod 2, so c2 is odd and
thus c is odd.
5. Let (a, b, c) be a fundamental solution and suppose that a is even.
Then, we claim there are positive integers p, q with (p, q) = 1, with one
even and the other odd, such that
a = 2pq
b = p2 q 2
c = p2 + q 2 .
We have
a = 2r so a2 = 4r2 = c2 b2 = (c + b)(c b) (1)
1

Now b and c are both odd so c + b and c b are both even, say
c + b = 2s
c b = 2t.
adding then subtracting these equations gives c = s + t, b = s t, so
by (1),
4r2 = 2s2t = r2 = st (2)
6. We claim (s, t) = 1: If d | (s, t) then d | c and d | b, but this means
d = 1 since (a, b, c) is fundamental.
7. By (2) s and t must both be squares, so we can write s = p2 , t = q 2
for some positive integers p, q. But then
a2 = 4r2 = 4st = 4p2 q 2 = a = 2pq
c = s + t = p2 q 2
b = s t = p2 q 2 (3).

8. Finally if d | (p, q) then d | (p2 , q 2 ) = (s, t) which are coprime so

d = 1 and we have p, q coprime. If p and q are both even or both odd,
we would have, by (3), a and b both even, which is impossible since
one is even and one is odd. This completes the proof.