This problem is one of eighty-five in the Rhind Papyrus, one of the earliest mathematical documents. In ancient Egyptian, legs walking left symbolize addition; walking left symbolizes subtraction.
About Math
Ancient Egyptian MathAn introduction to Ancient Egyptian numerals and problem-solving.
A brief biographical account of Hypatia, a teacher, philosopher, and mathematical scholar. Though much of her work is believed to have been destroyed, there is evidence that she was knowledgeable in many fields (such as Neoplatonism, astronomy, mechanics, and mathematics) and that her work appears to have influenced Egyptian astronomy.
Scroll down to "Rhind Papyrus" for basic information on what the Rhind Payrus is and how it reflects the approach to mathematics that Ancient Egyptians took
Scroll down to "Greek mathematicians, such as Thales of Miletus (624?-548? B.C.) and Pythagoras,..." to read about how ancient scholars' journeys to Egypt informed their knowledge of mathematics
An exploration of some math problems solved in the Rhind Papyrus (also known as the Ahmes Papyrus) and the Moscow Papyrus. With worked examples, we take a deep dive into how Ancient Egyptians approached various topics in mathematics: from more basic topics such as numerical notation, arithmetic and fractions to more advanced topics such as algebra, geometry and measurement.