Problems from Another Time

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

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

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

Now given a cylindrical log of unknown size buried in a wall...

A man plants 4 kernels of corn, which at harvest produce 32 kernels: these he plants the second year; now, supposing the annual increase to continue 8 fold, what would be the produce of the 15th year, allowing 1000 kernels to a pint?

Free Fertilizer

If 12 oxen eat up 3 1/3 acres of meadow in 4 weeks and 21 oxen eat up 10 acres of exactly similar meadow in 9 weeks, how many oxen shall eat up 36 acres in 18 weeks? (Hint: The grass continues to grow.)

Where Cosine Meets Tangent

Determine by using algebra the number of degrees in the angle A where: cos A = tan A

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.

Japanese Temple Problem 2

The triangle ABC has a right angle at C. Show that 1/ED=1/AC+1/AB

Pair of Numbers

There are two numbers whose sum equals the difference of their squares.

To Know a Little

To find three quantities x.y, and z...

Four Circles in a Square

In a given square, inscribe 4 equal circles so that...