Problems from Another Time

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

A powerful, unvanquished, excellent black snake, 32 hastas in length, enters into a hole at the rate of 7 1/2 angulas in 5/14 of a day, and in the course of 1/4 of a day its tail grows 2 3/4 of an angula.

Logarithms: The Early History of a Familiar Function - Joost Bürgi Introduces Logarithms

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

Three Numbers in France

I wish to find three numbers of such nature that the first and the second with 1/2 of the third makes 20...

Surveying a Field

I was employed to survey a field, which I was told was an exact geometrical square, but by reason of a river running through it, I can only obtain partial measurements.

Wooden Be Board

Given a wooden log of diameter 2 ch'ih 5 ts'un from which a 7 ts'un thick board is to be cut, what is the maximum possible width of the board?

Peano on Wronskians: A Translation - Acknowledgment and About the Authors

How a translation of Peano's counterexample to the 'theorem' that a zero Wronskian implies linear dependence can help your differential equations students

Family Travels

Now there are three sisters who leave home together.

The Ruins of Persepolis

There are two columns in the ruins of Persepolis left standing upright; one is 70 ft. above the plane, and the other 50 ft;

Inscribed Circle

Given: a circle with an inscribed equilateral triangle. The triangle has sides which are 12 cubits long. What is the area of the circle?

'He Advanced Him 200 Lambs of Gold': The Pamiers Manuscript - Bibliography

Discussion of 15th century French manuscript, with translation of its problems, including one with negative solutions