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Problems from Another Time

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

Man Crossing a Bridge
A man is walking across a bridge, when a boat passes under the bridge.How rapidly are the boat and the pedestrian separating after the boat passes under the bridge?
8th Grade Education in 1895
What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895
Creatures with Four or Six Heads
Now there are six-headed four-legged animals and four-headed two-legged birds. Find the total number of animals and birds.
Cherry Blossom Poetry
On a day in spring a boy has gathered cherry blossoms under a cherry tree. Nearby a poet is reading some of his poems aloud. As he reads, the boy counts out the cherry blossoms, one blossom for each word of a poem.
A Successful Businessman
A certain merchant increases the value of his estate by 1/3...
Estate Will
A father wills his estate valued at $40,000 to his three children. Before the settlement one of the children dies. What should the other two receive?
Pyramid Calculation
Given a pyramid 300 cubits high, with a square base 500 cubits to a side, determine the distance from the center of any side of the base to the apex.
A Wealth of Plantains
Twenty-three weary travelers entered a delightful forest. There they found 63 numerically equal piles of plantain fruit.
The Door and the Rod
Given a door and a measuring rod of unknown dimensions, the rod is used to measure the door.
Steamboat
The cost per hour of running a certain steamboat is proportional to the cube of its velocity in still water. At what speed should it be run to make a trip up stream against a four-mile current most economically?

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