Here are examples of the Ancient Egyptian method of multiplication and division, by doubling and halving. They depend on the fact (clearly known in that culture) that all the whole numbers can be constructed from sums the powers of 2 (including 2^0, which equals 1).
Ancient Egyptians also used only unit fractions in the form 1/x, with the exception, for some reason, of 2/3 — something we will explore further.
Take a good look at the division example. Would this technique work with all whole number divisors, or only even ones? Could this technique be used with other unit fractions?
For our Wednesday class (September 27), post on your blog your own example of working out a division question using Ancient Egyptian techniques.
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