# Problems from Another Time

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

How a translation of Peano's counterexample to the 'theorem' that a zero Wronskian implies linear dependence can help your differential equations students
A ladder has 100 steps. On the first step sits 1 pigeon; on the second, 2; on the third, 3; and so on up to the hundredth. How many pigeons in all?
Now there are six-headed four-legged animals and four-headed two-legged birds placed together.
A teacher agreed to teach 9 months for $562.50 and his board. At the end of the term, on account of two months absence caused by sickness, he received only$409.50. What was his board worth per month?
Discussion of 15th century French manuscript, with translation of its problems, including one with negative solutions
Find the isoceles triangle of smallest area that circumscribes a circle of radius 1.
Two men brought their fish through customs. Find how much the fish cost, and what is the customs fee.
In a right triangle, the hypotenuse is 9.434 and the sum of the sides around the right angle is 13. Find the lengths of the sides around the right angle.
Four men already having denari found a purse of denari; each man has a different amount of denari before they found the purse. Find out how much denari each man has.
The perimeters of two similar triangles are 45 and 135 respectively. One side of the first triangle has length 11″ and a second side, 19″. Find the lengths of the sides of the second triangle.