🇺🇲 The purpose of this collection of the problems from the “Moscow Mathematical Papyrus” is to present at least 2 translations of each problem as well as at least 1 interpretation of what a similar problem and solution would look like today. This because I couldn’t find the German translation freely available on the internet and a systematic interpretation nowhere.

Based on Struve, the papyrus is 1) 25 problems set by a teacher, 2) solutions presented by a student, 3) a transcription of all the preceding done by a later student, mainly focused on transcribing the words, rather than a faithful transcription of everything. This means most of the math has been left out of this document.

🇩🇪 Quellen:

• Mathematischer Papyrus des Staatlichen Museums der Schönen Künste in Moskau. Struve und Turajeff. 1930. – Photos.

🇺🇲 🇬🇧 Sources:

• Moscow Mathematical Papyrus, Wikisource.
• Moscow Mathematical Papyrus, Wikipedia.
• Moscow Mathematical Papyrus, PlanetMath.
• Ancient Egyptian Science: A Source Book, Volume Three, Ancient Egyptian Mathematics , Marshall Clagett, 1999, “The Mathematical Moscow Papyrus” – Photos.
• Peet, T. Eric. “A problem in Egyptian geometry.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 17. pp. 100-106. 1931.
• Peet, T. Eric. “Notices on Recent Publications: Mathematischer Papyrus des Staatlichen Museums der Schönen Künste in Moskau.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 17. pp. 154-160. 1931.

🇩🇪 Bemerkungen:

• Ein Rechner: “Du hast richtig gefunden.”
• Ein Schreiber/Lehrer: “0 laß mich wissen …”
• Eine Schreiberschule.
• … eine Abschrift eines älteren Textes. Ein noch nicht ganz selbständiger Schreiber der XIII. Dyn. schrieb einen Text aus der Mitte der XII. Dyn. ab.
• In den meisten Aufgaben … fehlen … Hilfsrechnungen wie Kontrollrechnungen. Der Abschreiber interessierte sich offenbar mehr für den Text …

🇺🇲 Typography:

• I use bold letters to show which part of an equation will be handled next.
• a = 3 * 4 + 5
• a = 12 + 5
• a = 17

🇺🇲 🇩🇪 Extra Information:

Backverhältnis x: 1 Scheffel Getreides = x Krüge Bier (oder Brote).	Pefsu = (no. of loaves of bread or jugs of beer) / (no. of heqats of grain)
3/4-Krug Spelt-Dattel-Bier = 2 Krüge Gerstenbier.	Beer with pefsu 2, like 1/2 1/4 malt-date [beer]… 1/2 1/4 malt-date beer: the name of the week beer only serves to indicate that this is a weaker beer.
1 Krug Spelt-Dattel-Bier = 2 3/8 Krug Gerstenbier.
1 Krug Spelt-Dattelersatz-Bier = 2 1/6 Krug Gerstenbier.	See (i.e., note) that the amount of grain for 1-des of Upper-Egyptian beer [like] malt-date beer is 2 1/6.
Das Verhältnis zwischen einem gewöhnlichen und außergewöhnlichen Arbeitstage ist 2 : 3.	In 1 day, a shoemaker can cut 10 pairs of sandals or decorate 5 pairs of shoes.
1 Ellen = 7 Spannen.	1 cubit = 7 palms.

🇺🇲 Begin with problem 01 (using the Clagett order) or problem 02 (using the Struve order).