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Sol 2

The document provides solutions to various math problems involving Babylonian numerals and techniques. It covers converting between base-10 and Babylonian numerals, solving equations using ancient Babylonian methods, working with fractions in sexagesimal notation, solving geometry problems similar to those on ancient Babylonian tablets, and converting numbers to the Greek Ionian number system.

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Vivek Panchal
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113 views

Sol 2

The document provides solutions to various math problems involving Babylonian numerals and techniques. It covers converting between base-10 and Babylonian numerals, solving equations using ancient Babylonian methods, working with fractions in sexagesimal notation, solving geometry problems similar to those on ancient Babylonian tablets, and converting numbers to the Greek Ionian number system.

Uploaded by

Vivek Panchal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Assignment 2 Solutions LibEd3100

1. Write the following numbers in Babylonian, first using the two wedge symbols
and then using the short form notation:
a) 1492
b) 2013
c) 12,321
d) 123,456
a) 1492 in Babylonian is 24(60) + 52, so << <<<<< .
This can also be written as 24, 52.
b) 2013 in Babylonian is (33)(60) + 33, so <<< <<< or 33, 31.
c) 12,321 in Babylonian is 3(3600) + 25(600) + 21, so the number is
<< << , or 3, 25, 21.
d) 123,456 in Babylonian is 34(3600) + 17(60) + 36, so
<<< < <<< , or 34, 17, 36.
2. Write the following Babylonian numbers in our number system:
a) <<<< = 2(60) + 42 = 162.
b) 37, 22 = 37(60) + 22 = 2242.
c) 1, 1, 1 = 1(3600) + 1(60) + 1(1) = 3661.
61
d) 1, 1; 1, 1 = 1(60) + 1(1) + 1(1/60) + 1(1/3600) = 61 and 61/3600 = 61 3600
.
3. Write each of the following fractions in sexagesimal notation: 19/15, 10/9.
4
60 = 4 4 = 16,
15
1
For 91 we find 19 / 60
= 19 60 = 20
=
3
2
10
60 = 40. Thus, 9 = 1; 6, 40.
3

4
. Then
19/15 = 1 15

10/9 = 1 19 .
1
find 32 / 60
=

4
/1
15 60

so

19
15

16
= 1 60
= 1; 16.

6 23 . For the

2
3

that remains we

4. Solve the following ancient Babylonian problem: There are two silver rings; 1/7
of the first ring and 1/11 of the second ring are broken off, so that what is
broken off weighs one sheqel. The first diminished by its 1/7 weighs as much as
the second diminished by its 1/11. What did the silver rings originally weigh?
Solution: Let f and s be the weights of the first and second ring respectively.
Then we are told that
f /7 + s/11 = 1

and

6f /7 = 10s/11.

The second equation gives f =


produces
1 = 17 f +
so s =

66
16

33
8

1
s
11

1
7

67

and also f

10
s+
11
= 70

66

7
6

10
s
11

and using this in the first equation

1
1
s = ( 10
+ 1) 11
s
11
6
66
= 70
= 35
.
16
16
8

16
6

1
s
11

5. a) In class we saw how to make successive estimates for


2 by averaging an
estimate x with 2/x. Adapt this method to calculate 5. Start with x = 1
as a first estimate, and do 4 averagings. (Do the work in our system, not in
Babylonian.)

b) What is the true value of 5? (Use your calculator!) How close is your
estimate, to five decimal places?
1

Solution: (a) Starting with x = 1, we take 5/x = 5, and our next estimate is
the average of 1 and 5, so x now becomes 12 (1 + 5) = 62 = 3.
With x = 3 we get 5/x = 5/3, and our next estimate is the average of 3 and
) = 37 .
5/3, so x = 21 (3 + 53 ) = 21 ( 9+5
3
With x = 37 we find 5/x = 5/(7/3) =
1 49+45
47
21 = 94
= 21
.
2
42

15
,
7

so our new estimate is x = 21 ( 37 + 15


)=
7

and 5/x = 5 21
= 105
so the
For the final, fourth, averaging, we have x = 47
21
47
47
47
1 4414
2207
new estimate will be 12 ( 21
+ 105
)
=

=
.
47
2
987
987

(b) My TI-30Xa tells me 5 = 2.236067978 and that 2207


= 2.236068896. To
987
five decimal places, both numbers coincide.
6. Consult the illustration on p. 65 of the Coursepack where a drawing of both sides
of tablet bearing a multiplication table is provided. Translate the cuneiform
symbols in columns I and II on the obverse face first into our short form base60 notation, and then into base-10 notation. (There appears to be a spurious
symbol or damage in the middle of the obverse face.)
Solution: Since the column I numbers dont exceed 59, their appearance in
either our base-10 or the short form base-60 is the same. On the obverse face
we have:
Column I
Bases 10 & 60
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Column II
Base-10
9
18
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
99
108
117
126

Base-60
9
18
27
36
45
54
1, 3
1,12
1,21
1,30
1,39
1,48
1,57
2, 6

7. Use the method of adjusting up and down to solve the system with the 2 equations x + y = 8 and xy = 15.
Solution: Since we need x + y = 8, we adjust up and down from x = y = 4.
Take x = 4 + z and y = 4 z for some z.

Then xy = (4 + z)(4 z) = 16 z 2 . We want this to equal 15, so we have


16 z 2 = 15 and so z 2 = 1 or z = 1 (Remember we ignore negative numbers
here!). So we have a solution of x = 5 and y = 3.
2

8. Use a Babylonian version of the quadratic formula to solve for x if x2 + 12 = 7x.


x2 + 12 = 7x has the format x2 + c = bx, with b = 7 and c = 12. So we use the
Babylonian formula
x =

v
u !2
u b
t

c +

b
2

7
7
12 +
2
2
s
7
49
12 +
=
4
2

1 7
+
4 2
8
1 7
+ = = 4.
=
2 2
2
=

The solution is x = 4.
9. Solve the following problem from Babylonian tablet BM 13901: The sum of the
areas of two squares is 1525. The side of the second square is 2/3 of that of the
first plus 5. Find the sides of each square. (Any method you want!)
Solution: Let x and y be the sides of the two squares. Then the information
given tells us the two equations
x2 + y 2 = 1525 and y = 23 x + 5.
Substituting the second equation into the first gives
x2 + 49 x2 + 20
x + 25 = 1525.
3
Multiplying both sides by 9 to clear fractions gives 13x2 + 60x 13, 500 = 0.

Using the quadratic formula on this gives:


x =

60

602 4(13)(13500)

2 13
60 3600 + 702000
=
26
60 705600
60 840
780
900
=
=
=
or
.
26
26
26
26
= 30. From this and the original
Only the positive solution applies, so x = 780
26
second equation we get y = 25. Therefore the two squares have sides 30 and 25
units.

10. Find a value of x that makes (12, 5, x) a Pythagorean triple. Find a value of b
that makes (6, b, 10) a Pythagorean triple.

For the first, we need x2 = 122 + 52 = 144 + 26 = 169, so x = 69 = 13.


For the second, we need 62 +b2 = 102 , or 36+b2 = 100 and so b2 = 64. Therefore
the solution is b = 8.
3

11. Pages 6773 of the coursepack present a translation and drawing of Babylonian
tablets describing some of the geometric problems scribes of the day would
tackle. Answer the question for the problem labelled (xvii). Use any formulas
you remember from grade school for areas of squares, rectangles and triangles.
For the triangles in figure (xvii), each triangle in the illustration
is a right isosceles triangle with hypotenuse 1/2, so each side has length 1/(2 2). Therefore,
1
.
each small triangle has area 12 base height = 12 21 2 21 2 = 16

The square nested inside the unit square is carved up into four identical smaller
squares, with the triangles around the nested square remaining the same as in
(xii). The nested square that is carved into four smaller squares is 21 on a side,
1
, and
for a total area of (1/2)2 = 14 . Thus, each small square has area 14 41 = 16
1
each small triangle has area 16 , as for (xii).
12. Write the following numbers in the Greek (i.e., Ionian) system.
a) 84
b) 135
c) 23, 492
d) 868 56 .
a) 80 + 4 =
b) 100 + 30 + 5 =

c) 23, 492 = 2 10, 000 + 3, 000 + 400 + 90 + 2 =M , q (Ive used a q for


koppa)
d) 868 56 = 800 + 60 + 8 + 21 + 13 = . (Ive used a downward pointing
arrow for the fraction for 1/2)

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