h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am doing some research on the origins of the quadratic formula and have been using your website to get some information. (https://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A2982567) I am looking for pictures of the original tables used in 1500 BC by the Egyptians and your website says these tables are still out there. Could you refer to me a source to find these images? I am having troubling locating them on my own.

Thank you!

Hi Marissa,

The author of that article, Dr Hell, isn't a regular on h2g2 - he was last seen in 2013. I'll post to his personal space to see if he's still checking in.

And as he wrote this in 2004, you may find that the particular online sources he used are no longer available. Do you think he may have been referring to the Rhind Papyrus, or something similar?


Icy

Wow - that is a late replay - sorry... The use of clay tables and examples are relatively easy to find in the web. The specific use of tables with areas (and hence the quadratic formula) I took from various sources. One easy to find is this: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/Ancient-Africa/mad_ancient_egypt_geometry.html