Math Like an Egyptian: Exploring Egyptian Fractions

When you think about parts of a whole, you probably picture fractions that consist of a numerator and a denominator.  But that's not how all cultures throughout history worked with fractional parts.  In this episode, Pete and Noah visit ancient Egypt and discuss the completely different way their mathematicians showed parts of a whole.  Plus, there's a puzzle about camels! • Rhind Mathematical Papyrus • Leave us a voice message • Email us • Follow us on Twitter Questions Answered in the Episode: • What is an Egyptian fraction and how were they written in ancient Egypt? • How did the ancient Egyptians use unit fractions to solve practical problems?