# Problems from Another Time

Individual problems from throughout mathematics history, as well as articles that include problem sets for students.

A powerful, unvanquished, excellent black snake, 80 angulas in length, enters into a hole at the rate of 7 1/2 angulas in 5/14 of a day, and in the course of a day its tail grows 11/4 of an angula.
There is a log 18 feet long, the diameter of the extremities being 1 ft and 2.6 ft respectively...
A series of circles have their centers on an equilateral hyperbola and pass through its center. Show that their envelope is a lemniscate.
Discussion of 15th century French manuscript, with translation of its problems, including one with negative solutions
Given a wooden log of diameter 2 feet 5 inches from which a 7 inch thick board is to be cut, what is the maximum possible width of the board?
A fish sees a heron looking at him from across a pool, so he quickly swims towards the south. When he reaches the south side of the pool, he has the unwelcome surprise of meeting the heron.
A man agreed to pay for 13 valuable houses worth $5000 each, what the last would amount to, reckoning 7 cents for the first, 4 times 7 cents for the second, and so on, increasing the price 4 times on each to the last. A father left$20,000 to be divided among his four sons ages 6, 8, 10, and 12 years respectively so that each share placed at 4 1/2 compounded interest should amount to the same value when its possessor becomes the age 21.
A man and his wife drink a barrel of wine at different rates. Find the rate it takes both of them together to drink the wine.
Having been given the sum of two numbers,a, and the difference of their squares,b, find the numbers.