Relatively few mathematical writings have survived from the time the rulers of Egypt built the pyramids. This is largely because writing at that time was done on laminated sheets of the papyrus plant, and such materials readily decompose under adverse environmental conditions.

One of the documents that has survived is known as the Rhind papyrus, named for the Scottish antique dealer, Henry Rhind, who purchased it in 1858. This document, about one foot high and 18 feet long, is now held by the British Museum (except for a few fragments held by the Brooklyn Museum). The document is also known as the Ahmes papyrus, after the individual who authored it. The papyrus is believed to date from about 1650 BC, but according to information contained in it, the material contained in it is derived from an earlier version from the Middle Kingdom (about 2000 to 1800 BC).

Although other mathematical writings from that...