QUEST Page
Page created: January 2000
Last Modified: June 29, 2003
The chart below is to be used to clarify my analysis of the big UGLY [The EMLR]
Only a few lines from COLUMN II have me really puzzled.
ANALYSIS OF THE EGYPTIAN MATHEMATICAL LEATHER ROLL
(E.M.L.R.)
COLUMN I
COLUMN II
COLUMN III
COL IV
Q#1 1/12=1/36+1/18 1/8=1/40+1/10
1/15=1/90+1/45+1/30 1/8=
Q#2 1/14=1/42+1/21 1/4=1/20+1/5
1/16=1/48+1/24
1/4
Q#3 1/30=1/90+1/45 1/3=1/12+1/4
1/12=1/36+1/18 1/3
Q#4 1/20=1/30+1/60 1/5=1/10+1/10
1/14=1/42+1/21 1/5
Q#5 1/10=1/30+1/15 1/3=1/6+1/6
1/30=1/90+1/45 1/3
Q#6 1/32=1/96+1/48 1/2=1/6+1/6+1/6
1/20=1/30+1/60 1/2
Q#7 1/64=1/192+1/96 2/3=1/3+1/3
1/10=1/30+1/15 2/3
Q#8
?1/8=1/200+1/75+1/15+1/25 1/32=1/96+1/48
Q#9
1/16=1/400+1/150+1/50+1/30
1/64=1/192+1/96
Q#10
?1/6 {1/15}=1/150+1/50+1/25
Q#11
1/6=1/18+1/9
Q#12
1/4=1/28+1/14+1/7
Q#13
1/8=1/24+1/12
Q#14
1/7=1/42+1/21+1/14
Q#15
1/9=1/54+1/27+1/18
Q#16
1/11=1/66+1/33+1/22
Q#17
?1/13 NOT=1/196+1/49+1/28 {1/14=1/196+1/98+1/49+1/28}
Q#18
1/15=1/90+1/45+1/30
COLUMN I (Q#1 THROUGH Q#7) MATCH COLUMN III (Q#3
THROUGH Q#9).
COLUMN II (Q#1 THROUGH Q#7 TOTALS) MATCH COLUMN
IV.
COLUMN II TROUBLES=?, {ALTERNATE} FOR Q#10, Q#17.
COLUMN II Q#8 (AS PER GILLINGS) IS 1/8=1/200+1/75+1/15+1/25 WHICH IS CORRECT. NOT IN ORDER, BUT EQUAL.
MY COPY DOES NOT SUGGEST THE 1/75 BUT THIS IS DUE TO IMAGE DISTORTION FROM REPETITIVE COPYING.
Milo Gardner offers a more detailed analysis of the EMLR at the following link:
Milo's analysis is also accessible via my URL:
Oh, and by the way, The Egyptian Mathematical Leather
Roll was probably discovered near the RMP by Henry Rhind.
Although he did not recover the EMLR.
(Professor) Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (the
father of modern Egyptian Archaeology) spent 40 years in Egypt acquiring
artifacts. He catalogued a huge collection of Hieratic papyri recovered
from the area in Egypt now called Lahun (or ILLAHUN or EL LAHUN) which was previously called GUROB or KAHUN!
He also conducted an extensive and exacting survey
of the Giza Plateau. The Petrie Museum in London houses many of the
items he acquired and papers he wrote. The Kahun Papyrus
is not yet available but will be this year.
You can take a break from counting (yes, you have my permission) to visit the museum via this link.
Also see this link from the University of Lethbridge, Canada for a list of Petrie's
major published works and biographical information.
Use the 2/n entries from the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus [link below] to verify that you have simplified your answers in the same fashion that Ahmes would have done.