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'

Distribution of the Mangoes

Of a collection of mango fruits, the king took 1/6; the queen 1/5 the remainder, and the three princes took 1/4, 1/3 and 1/2 (of the same remainder); and the youngest child took the remaining 3 mangoes.

Apes in a Forest

In a forest, a number of apes equal in number to the square of 1/8 of the total number of apes are noisy. The remaining 12 apes are on a nearby hill irritated. What is the total number of apes in the pack?

The Square and the Cube

A number is required; that the square shall be equal to twice the cube.

The Sum of Its Parts

One says that 10 is divided into three parts and if the small part is multiplied by itself and added to the middle one multiplied by itself the result is the large one multiplied by itself...

The Length of a String

Two circles, the sum of whose radii is a, are placed in the same plane with their centers at a distance 2a...

Pepper Importation

A merchant bought 50,000 pounds of pepper in Portugal for 10,000 scudi and paid a tax of 500 scudi.