Two Catholic high school students in New Orleans, Louisiana, used trigonometry to solve a mathematical puzzle that had remained unsolved for over 2,000 years. Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson, seniors at St. Mary’s Academy, took on the challenge of a math contest with a $500 prize. The task was to create a new proof of the Pythagorean Theorem, a fundamental principle of geometry. Despite facing a daunting challenge, the girls persevered, working tirelessly on the problem over the course of two months.
Their dedication paid off when they independently developed a proof using trigonometry, a method that had been deemed impossible for centuries. Their accomplishment garnered widespread recognition, including praise from notable figures like Michelle Obama and a commendation from Louisiana’s Governor. Despite their mathematical success, neither Calcea nor Ne’Kiya plan to pursue careers in math. They have continued to excel in their respective fields of study, with Ne’Kiya receiving a full scholarship to pharmacy school and Calcea pursuing environmental engineering. Despite their extraordinary achievement, both girls maintain that they are simply hardworking individuals rather than math geniuses.
