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DID EGYPTIAN ARITHMETIC GIVE US THE MATHEMATIC TECHNIQUE WE USE TODAY?


Did or did it not? The answer to this question is very simple, yes! It was used more then 4000 years ago and is still used in some places today. To believe it or not the Egyptians were one of the first people to use mathematics in extensive ways. Later on in the years the Greeks would use the abstract qualities of math. However, it appears the Egyptians were only concerned with the practical aspects of numbers. Take for instance the Greeks might use, see, and think the number six but, the Egyptians would probably need concrete materials such as six sphinxes.
The number system of the Egyptians worked very well when doing addition and subtraction. The numbers were group together in no particular order and the operation was performed. Addition and subtraction signs were represented by a figure which resembles a body part of a human, advancing for addition, and departing for subtraction.
When multiplication came about they had problems using their system. They overcame this problem by devising a very ingenious solution. Instead of multiplying they simply double one of the numbers and then added numbers which were being doubled to equal the other portion of the problem. Division could be done in a reverse concept.