Ancient Egyptian Mathematics

Much is known about the Ancient Egyptian knowledge of Mathematics because of a document recorded in the second century B.C. by the scribe, Ahmes. The papyrus roll was found in a Thebes ruin and was purchased in 1858 by Henry Rhind. The Ahmes or Rhind Papyrus was later sold to the British Museum.

The references in this papyrus to earlier mathematical concepts, indicate that some of this knowledge may have been handed down from Imhotep, the supervisor of the building of the pyramids around 3,000 B.C.

Calculation of

The Ahmes Papyrus, which contains 84 mathematical problems and their solutions, provides a clue to the Ancient Egyptian value for . The Egyptians used a method of assuming a solution and then correcting it known asregula falsi. Using this approach, a comparison was made between the area of a circle and a square.

View the Ancient Egyptian comparison that yields a value for .

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Based on this method, the ancient Egyptians determined a value for that was 3.1605.


Egyptian Numbers Learn about Egyptian Numbers and test your ability to use them.

Egyptian Mathematics Find out more about Ancient Egyptian Mathematics.

Ahmes Find out more information about the Egyptian scribe.

Hieroglyphics Learn how the Rosetta Stone allowed us to unlock the Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Visit the Cyber Mummy Home Page to find out more information about Ancient Egypt.

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