Pythagoras is often credited with laying the groundwork for many mathematical principles, including concepts that would later become fundamental to trigonometry. However, it is important to clarify that he was not the sole inventor of trigonometry.
While Pythagoras himself is best known for the Pythagorean theorem, which relates to the sides of a right triangle, the study of angles and their relationships was developed over time by various mathematicians in different cultures. Pythagoras and his followers did explore the relationships between the sides and angles of triangles, but the systematic study of trigonometry as we know it today emerged much later.
Ancient Greek mathematicians like Hipparchus and later, Claudius Ptolemy, made significant contributions to trigonometry, developing concepts such as the sine and cosine functions. These contributions were built upon knowledge that existed from Babylonian and Indian mathematicians as well.
In summary, while Pythagoras played a significant role in the early development of the mathematical concepts that underpin trigonometry, he was not its sole inventor. Trigonometry is the result of contributions from numerous cultures and mathematicians over centuries.