Problems from Another Time

Individual problems from throughout mathematics history, as well as articles that include problem sets for students.

One person possesses 7 asava horses, another 9 haya horses, and another 9 camels. Each gives two animals away, one to each of the others.

The Amount of Time a Man Can Do Work

How long does it take a single man to do work when...

A Serious Series

Given the fraction ax/(a-x), convert it into an infinite series.

Four Integers

Given four integers which, if added together three at a time, their sums are: 20, 22, 24, and 27. What are the integers?

Golden Spheres

A California miner has a spherical ball of gold, 2 inches in diameter, which he wants to exchange for spherical balls 1 inch in diameter. How many of the smaller spheres should he receive?

Money Makes the World Go Around

You have two sums of money, the difference of which is 2 dirhems; you divide the smaller sum by the larger and the quotient is equal to 1/2. What are the two sums of money?

Logarithms: The Early History of a Familiar Function - Parallel Insights and the Reception of Mathematical Ideas

The authors recount the 'great tale' of Napier's and Burgi's parallel development of logarithms and urge you to use it in class.

Loaves and Bishops

A certain bishop ordered that 12 loaves be divided among his clergy.

Loaf of Bread

In baking a hemispherical loaf of bread of 10" radius, the crust was everywhere of an equal thickness, and the solidity of the crust was equal to half the solid content of the whole loaf. What were the dimensions of the interior soft part?

Be Careful Where You Step!

A ladder has 100 steps. On the first step sits 1 pigeon; on the second, 2; on the third, 3; and so on up to the hundredth. How many pigeons in all?