Ancient Mathematics – Week 2 Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, texts, numeral systems, and calculation methods from Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics discussed in Week 2.

Ancient Mathematics

Early mathematical practices developed for practical needs such as agriculture, construction, and record-keeping rather than abstract theory.

Rhind Mathematical Papyrus

Egyptian scroll (c. 1650 BCE) containing arithmetic and geometry problems that illustrate everyday calculations.

Moscow Papyrus

Egyptian text best known for volume problems, including the calculation for a truncated pyramid.

Egyptian Number System

Base-10 additive numeral system using distinct hieroglyphs for each power of ten and lacking place value or a symbol for zero.

Hieroglyphic Numerals

Pictorial symbols the Egyptians used to represent quantities such as 1, 10, 100, … up to 1 000 000.

Additive System

Numeration method in which symbols are repeated and summed, with no positional value; used by the Egyptians.

Unit Fraction

Fraction with numerator 1; Egyptians expressed most fractions as sums of unit fractions except for 2⁄3, which had its own sign.

Egyptian Doubling Method

Multiplication technique that repeatedly doubles numbers and adds selected partial products; essentially binary multiplication.

Inverse Multiplication

Egyptian division process that finds a quotient by determining what multiple of the divisor equals the dividend.

Truncated Pyramid

A pyramid with its top cut off; volume formula appears on the Moscow Papyrus.

Babylonian Mathematics

Mathematical tradition of Mesopotamia (c. 2000–300 BCE) noted for astronomy, algebraic problems, and sophisticated calculations.

Cuneiform

Wedge-shaped script impressed on clay tablets; medium for Babylonian mathematical records.

Sexagesimal System

Base-60 positional numeral system employed by the Babylonians, enabling high-precision arithmetic.

Place Value

Numerical principle in which a digit’s position determines its magnitude; fully present in Babylonian but absent in Egyptian numerals.

Placeholder Symbol

Babylonian sign introduced later to mark an empty position in a sexagesimal numeral, though not a true zero.

Plimpton 322

Babylonian tablet listing Pythagorean triples, evidencing early knowledge of right-triangle relationships.

YBC 7289

Clay tablet giving a remarkably accurate (six-decimal) approximation of √2 in sexagesimal form.

Pythagorean Triple

Set of three integers satisfying a² + b² = c²; appears on Plimpton 322.

Binary Decomposition

Egyptian practice of representing numbers as sums of powers of two while multiplying or dividing.

Subtraction Wedge

Cuneiform mark allowing scribes to shorten lengthy groups of identical symbols in Babylonian notation.

Calendar Mathematics

Early computations for tracking celestial cycles and organizing agricultural seasons.

Geometry in Land Surveying

Use of shape and area calculations by Egyptians to re-establish field boundaries after Nile floods.

Irrigation Planning

Babylonian application of mathematics to design canals and manage water distribution.

Commerce Arithmetic

Ancient calculation methods for trade, taxation, wages, and inventory management in both Egyptian and Babylonian societies.