In this article, we present an activity that guides students through the construction of a decimal analogue to the sexagesimal entries on the tablet, and we explain how such an activity is an enriching mathematical exercise that allows students to experience mathematics from the Old Babylonian period while remaining in the comfort zone of base 10. Meanwhile, Amy Ackerberg-Hastings has used a version-in which the original values were replaced with familiar base-10 Pythagorean triples-to introduce mathematical and historical thinking in seven sections of a general-education science course on the history of science (see Appendix).Įven though debate persists among historians about what Plimpton 322 was actually designed to accomplish, this tablet continues to stimulate a variety of classroom projects. Otero has suggested activities for encouraging students to think about how numbers are expressed, to experiment with algorithms in arithmetic, and to further mastery of quadratic equations. With its apparent references to Pythagorean triples, the Old Babylonian clay tablet known as Plimpton 322 (so named for the collection at Columbia University in which it is held) may be a particularly tempting subject for a lesson. The activity itself can be downloaded by clicking here.īecause they are ancient, mysterious yet tangible objects that were frequently inscribed with mathematics, cuneiform tablets can provide appealing additions to secondary and undergraduate mathematics classrooms. We also present historical and mathematical overviews of Plimpton 322 and offer practical suggestions for using the activity in the classroom. Last but not least, the activity allows the participants to better understand Plimpton 322 itself. Working in a group through the interesting arithmetic algorithm behind the construction also consolidates several notions related to numbers and numeration systems, while providing opportunities to make and test mathematical conjectures. The activity allows the participants to experience mathematics from the Old Babylonian period while remaining in the comfort zone of base 10. This construction provides a nice classroom activity for prospective K–12 mathematics teachers, as well as high school students. Understand the meanings and connections between ratios, proportions, and percents, as well as solve problems involving them.For didactic purposes, we present a construction method for a decimal analogue of the Old Babylonian tablet Plimpton 322, produced by performing operations in base 10 (rather than in base 60), and designed so that all rational numbers are decimal fractions.Understand the basics of the following topics from number theory and use them in solving problems: parity, multiples, factors, divisors, divisibility tests, and factorization.Understand the representation and properties of the following subsets of real numbers: whole numbers (including other bases), integers, rational numbers, and real numbers, as well as perform mathematical operations on them.Understand the structure of numeration systems (Roman, Mayan, Babylonian and Hindu-Arabic in base-10 and other bases) and be able to convert numbers between the Hindu-Arabic base-10 numeration system and the other numeration systems.

Understand and apply basic problem solving strategies.Learning Outcomes for 3450:140 Fundamentals of Mathematics for Primary Educators Students are expected to be able to:

Convert babylonian numerals to hindu