Cultural Exchanges Between Egypt and Babylon

  One explanation why the mathematics found on Egyptian papyri and Babylonian cuneiform tablets is that there were cultural exchanges taking place at this time. Petrie points out that scribes also used the slanting side of a triangle to calculate its area. And that Pythagorean triples are found in the papyrus mathematics. We also find unit fractions and simple sums of series both cultures. Petrie cites an algorithm used to find the sum a geometric series.

Problems 53-60 of the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus are very similar in character to those found in Babylonian mathematics. Babylonian mathematics seems to be slightly more advanced at this time.