Re: [math-fun] Math PuzzlesX Oldest Ancestors Took Form on Egyptian Papyrus
I always thought the St. Ives problem was a trick question: "As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives . . .." While walking, someone one meets is usually going the opposite direction. So only "I" -- one person -- was going to St. Ives. (At least that's how it was once explained to me.) --Dan << . . . Scholars have found a few errors in the problems, and Ahmes even wrote an incorrect number in his St. Ives problem. But over all, the equations are considered remarkably accurate.
Those who sleep faster get more rest.
Although one might be much more inclined to engage in a conversation (and have the time to do some counting) if one overtook someone and travelled with him in the same direction for a while. -----Original Message----- From: math-fun-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:math-fun-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Dan Asimov Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 1:10 PM To: math-fun Subject: Re: [math-fun] Math PuzzlesX Oldest Ancestors Took Form on Egyptian Papyrus I always thought the St. Ives problem was a trick question: "As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives . . .." While walking, someone one meets is usually going the opposite direction. So only "I" -- one person -- was going to St. Ives. (At least that's how it was once explained to me.) --Dan << . . . Scholars have found a few errors in the problems, and Ahmes even wrote an incorrect number in his St. Ives problem. But over all, the equations are considered remarkably accurate.
Those who sleep faster get more rest. _______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
Dan Asimov:
While walking, someone one meets is usually going the opposite direction. So only "I" -- one person -- was going to St. Ives. (At least that's how it was once explained to me.)
In fact, when the Baring-Goulds authored their Annotated Mother Goose (1962) they suggested that this answer "is probably known to everybody today". Forty-eight years later Wikipedia allows for a number of different plausible answers. :)
The St. Ives puzzle ... culturally speaking, it's difficult to know where to stand on this one. First, it seems entirely expected to overtake someone whose entourage is laden down with heavy sacks, so it's ok to take it as an geometric series excercise. I mean really, you know you want to say the answer, you love knowing all those numbers. The seven wives issue, that's troubling. OK, probably a Muslim was walking to St. Ives. Rather odd, but hardly impossible. But, is this a voluntary polygamist arrangement? We do see this sort of thing in Utah, but we want to know if the man was carrying anything. Cats, now I like that, and it is notoriously difficult to transport cats, so perhaps the sacks, for a short journey, are humane. But all those kittens, it's way too crowded, whatever is going on? Are they involved in some sort of charitable business providing kittens to Muslim orphanages? Had they purchased all these cat at the market fair in St. Ives and were returning to their home city to rid it of rats? With such unmanageable burdens, I would guess that the group was just about to turn back, anyway, so everyone went to St. Ives. Or, perhaps the narrator became overcome with curiousity and joined them, as did others, and that day, no one went to St. Ives. Hilarie
participants (4)
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Cordwell, William R -
Dan Asimov -
Hans Havermann -
Hilarie Orman