Some mathematical processes used in ancient Egyptian civilization

Abstract

The objective of this document is to analyze some mathematical procedures used in ancient Egyptian civilization. It directs its interest towards the form of addition used as the fundamental basis for the calculation of various operations, and towards the form of determining the decimal expression corresponding to a given fraction. In this sense, pay attention to the use of addition as a fundamental accessory operation for the calculation of multiplications and divisions. Likewise, it shows some procedures used to determine the decimal expression corresponding to a given fraction, aided by obtaining unit fractions. All this was specified through a documentary research supported by a content analysis of a series of theoretical-referential and procedural aspects necessary to justify and illustrate the process of obtaining results requested by the problem statements that call for the use of unit fractions and fractions. to the calculation of results of multiplications and divisions. Among the findings, it stands out that the Mathematics of ancient Egypt was basically additive and was based on the decomposition of any natural number as the sum of positive multiples of 2, pointing its procedures to the fact of multiplying or dividing by 2. Likewise, the possibility of obtaining decimal expressions built with unit fraction formats whose numerators are always equal to 1 and their denominators are natural greater than 1. It is concluded that these and other contents such as the Decimal Numbering System have constituted relevant contributions to the current mathematical foundations.