Problems from Another Time

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

Euclid's Algorithm for the Greatest Common Divisor

Project to help discrete mathematics and computer science students learn basic properties of division and the Euclidean algorithm and its proof from Euclid himself

Sums of Powers in Discrete Mathematics: Archimedes Sums Squares in the Sand

A project to help students learn from Archimedes' writings how he summed squares

Deduction through the Ages: A History of Truth

A project to introduce students to logic and especially implication by consulting original sources from ancient to modern times

Primary Historical Sources in the Classroom: Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science

A collection of modules for teaching and learning by 'reading the masters'

Logarithms: The Early History of a Familiar Function - John Napier 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.

Indian Numbers Game

Find a number having remainder 29 when divided by 30 and remainder 3 when divided by 4.

The Chinese General and the River

An old Chinese general led his army to a river with a steep bank. Standing atop the bank, he held a stick 6 feet long perpendicular to himself.

Stone Weight

I found a stone but did not weigh it; after I added to it 1/7 of its weight and then 1/11 of this new weight, I weighed the total at 1 mana. What was the weight of the stone?

Peano on Wronskians: A Translation - Appendix 2: Translations

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

Making Arrows

In one day, a person can make 30 arrows or fletch [put the feathers on] 20 arrows.