#RHIND PAPYRUS DEFINITION SERIES#

For example, no unit fraction is repeated. All the fractional equivalents are constructed to follow certain rules. The other thing we see in the fraction table that still resonates today is the sense that mathematics has an aesthetic element. The rise of the metric system and current pervasiveness of binary are both creative ways to redefine quantity to suit current systems of understanding and pragmatic needs.

On a societal level, we continue to redefine what units and quantities are preferred and given pragmatic value. Moreover, this process of creating unit systems is not just an ancient discovery. It is the willful decision to seek out order, quantify and segment the world into units that are we find meaningful. This illustrates something fundamental but often overlooked, that mathematics is not merely a set of procedures but an imaginative act. In some sense, only integers and unit fractions were seen as real numbers. This suggests that unit fractions were viewed as customary, stable quantities that provided a basis for further calculation. Throughout the papyrus, similar unit fractions are used. For example, 2/5 is decomposed into 1/3 + 1/15.

#RHIND PAPYRUS DEFINITION SERIES#

For every odd integer from 5 to 101, it gives a decomposition of twice the unit fraction (1/n) into a series of distinct unit fractions. The extensive applications provide an intriguing look at both Egyptian mathematics and the problems and organization of Egyptian life.Ĭonsider the first table of fractions. The problems vary from moderately abstract calculations involving linear algebra and basic geometry to very applied problems. It contains two tables of fractional equivalents followed by 84 worked problems. It is an ~17 foot long papyrus scroll written in hieratic, a less formal writing system than hieroglyphics. The Rhind Papyrus was found in Thebes, Egypt and was probably written around 1650 BCE. This blog entry explores the earliest days of STEM and how it compares to today by looking at one of the oldest extant mathematical texts, the Rhind Papyrus. But fundamentally many aspects of STEM, how it defines our understanding of the world and relates to society, go back thousands of years. The technology that STEM makes possible has created modern life and is shaping the future. We tend to think of STEM as the very essence of modernity.

Rhind papyrus definition