Problems from Another Time

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

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.