We have seen how the ancient Egyptians worked through basic arithmetic problems. Our next question should then be: what kinds of problems did they solve? Generally, the ancient Egyptians are known for solving practical, every-day problems that had to do with administering their large empire. Scribes would solve geometry and arithmetic problems as part of their jobs, and other people in the empire would generally not know or use such mathematics. Scribes were trained in scribal schools, where they learned mathematics. The best examples we have come from papyrus rolls which have been preserved and translated. Our goal for the readings below is to understand some examples of how the ancient Egyptians solved arithmetic and geometric problems.
Readings
First Reading: Mathematics Problems from Ancient Egyptian Papyri
Second Reading: An Overview of Egyptian Mathematics