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Problems from Another Time

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

Two Circles
Two circles of radii 25 feet intersect so that the distance between their centers is 30 feet. What is the length of the side of the largest square inscribable within their intersecting arcs?
Peano on Wronskians: A Translation - On the Wronskians
How a translation of Peano's counterexample to the 'theorem' that a zero Wronskian implies linear dependence can help your differential equations students
Traveling on a Train
Two travelers, starting at the same time from the same point, travel in opposite directions round a circular railway.
Bargain Houses
A man agreed to pay for 13 valuable houses worth $5000 each, what the last would amount to, reckoning 7 cents for the first, 4 times 7 cents for the second, and so on, increasing the price 4 times on each to the last.
Weights and Measures
A certain man says that he can weigh any amount from 1 to 40 pounds using only 4 weights. What size must they be?
'He Advanced Him 200 Lambs of Gold': The Pamiers Manuscript - A Fair Was Serious Business
Discussion of 15th century French manuscript, with translation of its problems, including one with negative solutions
Mystery Numbers
Find two numbers such that multiplying one by the other makes 8 and the sum of their squares is 27.
Provisions
If 80 dollars worth of provisions will serve 20 men for 25 days, what number of men will the same amount of provisions serve for 10 days?
Ratio of Areas of Two Circles
If an arc of 45 degrees on one circumference is equal to an arc of 60 degrees on another circle, what is the ratio of the areas of the circles?
What is a Bowsprit?
A vessel is anchored in 3 fathoms of water and the cable passes over a sheave in the bowsprit which is 6 ft above the water.

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