Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Pizza Theorem: maths finally has a simple, tasty real-life application
The Pizza Theorem is a maths trick about cutting pizza.
It says you can cut a pizza into equal pieces even if your cuts don't go through the very middle.
You need at least 8 slices for it to work.
The number of slices must be a multiple of 4, like 8, 12, or 16.
All the slices have to be the same shape, with the same angle of 45 degrees.
If you cut the pizza this way, two people can share it fairly.
One person takes every other slice, like slices 1, 3, 5, and 7.
The other person takes slices 2, 4, 6, and 8.
Both people end up with exactly the same amount of pizza.
Some people online didn't believe it works, but that's because random cuts don't follow the rules.
The Pizza Theorem allows a pizza to be cut into equal-area slices even when the cuts do not pass through the centre.
The theorem works when the number of slices is a multiple of four, such as 8, 12 or 16, but not with 4 slices.
All slices must have equal angles of 45 degrees for the theorem to hold.
Two people share the pizza by taking alternate slices: one gets slices 1, 3, 5, 7 and the other gets 2, 4, 6, 8.
Netizens questioned the theorem, noting that a random cut into 8 slices does not produce equal results unless the angle rule is followed.
- Who
- Two people sharing a pizza, with the theorem presented to the public by WION.
- What
- The Pizza Theorem shows that a pizza cut through any common point into a multiple-of-four number of equal-angled slices can be divided equally between two people by taking alternate slices.
- When
- Not specified in the articles.
- Where
- Not specified in the articles.
- Why
- To demonstrate a simple, real-life application of geometry, ensuring two people get equal-sized portions of pizza even when cuts do not pass through the centre.
Skeptical netizens
Supporters of the theorem
Random cuts and equal slices
Skeptical netizens
Netizens questioned the theorem, pointing out that randomly cutting a pizza into 8 slices does not give the same result.
Supporters of the theorem
The rule is clear: each slice must have the same angle, mostly 45 degrees, so random cuts without equal angles do not count as an application of the theorem.
- Theorem
- Pizza Theorem
- Field
- Mathematics (geometry)
- Cut point
- Any common point on the pizza, not necessarily the centre
- Required slices
- Multiple of 4: 8, 12, 16 (does not work with 4)
- Slice angle
- 45 degrees for each slice
- Sharing method
- Alternate slices: one person takes 1, 3, 5, 7 and the other takes 2, 4, 6, 8
- Key condition
- Straight cuts through a common point
- Source
- WION