The Bizarre Fractions of Ancient Egypt @WrathofMath

Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

In ancient Egyptian mathematics, the only fractions used were unit fractions and 2/3. The reckoning of mathematical problems with these fractions, called parts, was - like all of their methods, based on doubling. In this video we see some of the notation used for numbers and parts in ancient Egypt as well as the methods of reckoning with them and how we can convert fractions today into the Egyptian fractions of yesterday using a greedy algorithm. #maths #ancientegypt #mathematics

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SOURCES
The History of Mathematics by Roger L. Cooke
Mathematics in the time of the Pharaohs by Richard J. Gillings
discoveringegypt.com/egyptian-hieroglyphic-writing/egyptian-mathematics-numbers-hieroglyphs
3010tangents.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/egyptian-fractions-from-mythology-to-computation
Closing the Eye of Horus: The Rise and Fall of Horus-Eye Fractions By James Ritter

0:00 Intro
2:00 Rhind Papyrus
3:04 Fraction Notation
6:20 Greedy Algorithm
9:16 No Uniqueness
11:05 An Open Problem
13:26 Some New Notation
14:18 Computation
18:12 The Table
20:32 Solving Problem 21
23:23 Loaves of Bread
25:14 Conclusion

$The Bizarre Fractions of Ancient Egypt In ancient Egyptian mathematics, the only fractions used were unit fractions and 2/3. The reckoning of mathematical problems with these fractions, called parts, was - like all of their methods, based on doubling. In this video we see some of the notation used for numbers and parts in ancient Egypt as well as the methods of reckoning with them and how we can convert fractions today into the Egyptian fractions of yesterday using a greedy algorithm. #maths #ancientegypt #mathematics Check out my Math Fashion Brand: https://www.mathshion.com Join Wrath of Math to get exclusive videos, lecture notes, and more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEKvaxi8mt9FMc62MHcliw/join Outro music by me and available for channel members. SOURCES The History of Mathematics by Roger L. Cooke Mathematics in the time of the Pharaohs by Richard J. Gillings https://discoveringegypt.com/egyptian-hieroglyphic-writing/egyptian-mathematics-numbers-hieroglyphs/ https://3010tangents.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/egyptian-fractions-from-mythology-to-computation/ Closing the Eye of Horus: The Rise and Fall of Horus-Eye Fractions By James Ritter 0:00 Intro 2:00 Rhind Papyrus 3:04 Fraction Notation 6:20 Greedy Algorithm 9:16 No Uniqueness 11:05 An Open Problem 13:26 Some New Notation 14:18 Computation 18:12 The Table 20:32 Solving Problem 21 23:23 Loaves of Bread 25:14 Conclusion$

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