History of Mathematics in and for the Curriculum

Babylonian Mathematics: Classroom Activities 1 Thinking of two numbers game: Im thinking of two numbers: sum (S) product (P) What are the numbers? Introduce the problem with easy sets of numbers that can be done in the head S ! " #$ #% #! &' P #& &' $( )) (' (% *t this stage+ pupils are relying on their memories of multiplication tables, *sk pupils to make up some e-amples of their own and pass them to a neighbour to see if they can find a solution, .owe/er+ when the numbers get larger+ it re0uires more thought 11 S P &( #(2 )& &$& )(1 )&) 1 )# %' $) $' 1

&)% )2%

("( ('" 1

Since we are after solutions+ rather than merely e-ercising the arithmetic+ calculators can be used, 3iscussion wit h pupils follows 111 What are we looking for? Partitions of the sum: 4actors of the product : ! #& .ow are we looking for it? " &' #% )) #! (' &( )& )# $) ("(

#(2 &$$ &)%

Is there a strategy for finding the numbers? If so+ what is it? Pedagogical 5otes: #, It is important to encourage pupils to describe their methods+ and this is a good opportunity to disco/er the /ariety of approaches to what we may think is a simple (and ob/ious) solution, *t least two strategies are likely to arise there, 6ne based on partitions of the sum+ and another on factors of the product, 7ost strategies are likely to combine these two ideas+ and pupils will e-press them in different ways, We are after a strategy 8 a procedure 8 which is easy to use and reliable+ so that it gets correct results whate/er the pairs of numbers, &, *nother possibility is to ask pupils how they made up the problems they ga/e to their neighbour, Which pairs are easier to make up+ but hard to find? ) 9here are plenty of opportunities for practice of arithmetic in the conte-t of an interesting and challenging problem, %, Problems like this pro/ide a conte-t for e-ploration+ creati/ity and testing con:ectures, $+ 9his algorithm can be found in 7ediae/al+ *rab+ ;enaissance and #!th century algebra and is the basis of the 0uadratic formula used today,
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History of Mathematics in and for the Curriculum

A Strategy S A #%+ P A ))B ! ( $ % ) 2 " #' ## 2 ! ( $ S A #!+ P A ('B 2E " #' ## #& 5 + 12 = 17 5 x 12 = 60 S A )#+ P A &)% #$ E #$ #% #) #& #( #! #2 #" 13 13 x 18 = 234

3 + 11 = 14 + 18 = 31 3 x 11 = 33

Take half the Sum number, then add and subtract to find pairs for testing the product. Checking S A #%+ P A )) S =7 2 )+ ## ( 7 4 )( 7 + 4 ) 49 16 33 S A )&+ P A &$& S = 16 2 #%+#2 (16 2 ) (16 + 2 ) 256 4 252

Products can also be e-pressed using the grid display, x

7 2 1 2 7 2 49 4 7 4 + + 1 2 7 4 1 4

7any interesting properties of the abo/e may be noted: the stepwise procedure will obtain the product numbersB the con:ugate brackets (a 8 b)( a D b) produce a clear e-ample of the difference of two s0uaresB the grid display e-poses the partial products of the binary multiplicationB the opposite signs clearly show that there are two factors which cancel each otherB etc,

6ther /ariations found in the Cabylonian tablets are: 3ifference of two numbers+ (a 8 b) and their Product ab Sum of two numbers+ (a D b) and the sum of their S0uares (a& D b&) 3ifference of two numbers+ (a 8 b) and the sum of their S0uares (a& D b&) In each case+ what would be the procedures for finding solutions?
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