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http://dx.doi.org/10.14477/jhm.2017.30.4.221

Squaring the Circle and Recognizing Right Triangles of Ancient Egyptians  

Park, Mingu (Graduate School of Math. Edu., Inha Univ)
Park, Jeanam (Dept. of Math. Edu., Inha Univ)
Hong, Kyounghee (Graduate School of Math. Edu., Inha Univ)
Publication Information
Journal for History of Mathematics / v.30, no.4, 2017 , pp. 221-232 More about this Journal
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss how ancient Egyptians find out the area of the circle based on $\ll$Ahmose Papyrus$\gg$. Vogel and Engels studied the quadrature of the circle, one of the basic concepts of ancient Egyptian mathematics. We look closely at the interpretation based on the approximate right triangle of Robins and Shute. As circumstantial evidence for Robbins and Shute's hypothesis, Egyptians prior to the 12th dynasty considered the perception of a right triangle as examples of 'simultaneous equation', 'unit of length', 'unit of slope', 'Egyptian triple', and 'right triangles transfer to Greece'. Finally, we present a method to utilize the squaring the circle by ancient Egyptians interpreted by Robbins and Shute as the dynamic symmetry of Hambidge.
Keywords
History of Mathematics; Mathematics Culture; Hyksos; Dynamic Symmetry; Ahmose Papyrus; Squaring the Circle; Pythagorean Triple; Euclidean Rectangle;
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Times Cited By KSCI : 1  (Citation Analysis)
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