Rollo de cuero de matemática egipcia

Este rollo de cuero es una ayuda para calcular fracciones egipcias. Contiene 26 sumas de fracciones unitarias que son iguales a otra fracción unitaria. Las sumas aparecen en dos columnas, seguidas de dos columnas más que contienen exactamente las mismas sumas.^[2]

Rollo de cuero de matemática egipcia^[2]

Columna 1	Columna 2	Columna 3	Columna 4
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{10}}+{\frac {1}{40}}={\frac {1}{8}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{30}}+{\frac {1}{45}}+{\frac {1}{90}}={\frac {1}{15}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{10}}+{\frac {1}{40}}={\frac {1}{8}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{18}}+{\frac {1}{36}}={\frac {1}{12}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{5}}+{\frac {1}{20}}={\frac {1}{4}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{24}}+{\frac {1}{48}}={\frac {1}{16}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{5}}+{\frac {1}{20}}={\frac {1}{4}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{21}}+{\frac {1}{42}}={\frac {1}{14}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{4}}+{\frac {1}{12}}={\frac {1}{3}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{18}}+{\frac {1}{36}}={\frac {1}{12}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{4}}+{\frac {1}{12}}={\frac {1}{3}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{45}}+{\frac {1}{90}}={\frac {1}{30}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{10}}+{\frac {1}{10}}={\frac {1}{5}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{21}}+{\frac {1}{42}}={\frac {1}{14}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{10}}+{\frac {1}{10}}={\frac {1}{5}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{30}}+{\frac {1}{60}}={\frac {1}{20}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}+{\frac {1}{6}}={\frac {1}{3}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{45}}+{\frac {1}{90}}={\frac {1}{30}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}+{\frac {1}{6}}={\frac {1}{3}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{15}}+{\frac {1}{30}}={\frac {1}{10}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}+{\frac {1}{6}}+{\frac {1}{6}}={\frac {1}{2}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{30}}+{\frac {1}{60}}={\frac {1}{20}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}+{\frac {1}{6}}+{\frac {1}{6}}={\frac {1}{2}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{48}}+{\frac {1}{96}}={\frac {1}{32}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{3}}+{\frac {1}{3}}={\frac {2}{3}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{15}}+{\frac {1}{30}}={\frac {1}{10}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{3}}+{\frac {1}{3}}={\frac {2}{3}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{96}}+{\frac {1}{192}}={\frac {1}{64}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{25}}+{\frac {1}{15}}+{\frac {1}{75}}+{\frac {1}{200}}={\frac {1}{8}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{48}}+{\frac {1}{96}}={\frac {1}{32}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{25}}+{\frac {1}{15}}+{\frac {1}{75}}+{\frac {1}{200}}={\frac {1}{8}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{50}}+{\frac {1}{30}}+{\frac {1}{150}}+{\frac {1}{400}}={\frac {1}{16}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{96}}+{\frac {1}{192}}={\frac {1}{64}}}$	${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{50}}+{\frac {1}{30}}+{\frac {1}{150}}+{\frac {1}{400}}={\frac {1}{16}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{25}}+{\frac {1}{50}}+{\frac {1}{150}}={\frac {1}{15}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{25}}+{\frac {1}{50}}+{\frac {1}{150}}={\frac {1}{6}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{9}}+{\frac {1}{18}}={\frac {1}{6}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{9}}+{\frac {1}{18}}={\frac {1}{6}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{7}}+{\frac {1}{14}}+{\frac {1}{28}}={\frac {1}{4}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{7}}+{\frac {1}{14}}+{\frac {1}{28}}={\frac {1}{4}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{12}}+{\frac {1}{24}}={\frac {1}{8}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{12}}+{\frac {1}{24}}={\frac {1}{8}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{14}}+{\frac {1}{21}}+{\frac {1}{42}}={\frac {1}{7}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{14}}+{\frac {1}{21}}+{\frac {1}{42}}={\frac {1}{7}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{18}}+{\frac {1}{27}}+{\frac {1}{54}}={\frac {1}{9}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{18}}+{\frac {1}{27}}+{\frac {1}{54}}={\frac {1}{9}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{22}}+{\frac {1}{33}}+{\frac {1}{66}}={\frac {1}{11}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{22}}+{\frac {1}{33}}+{\frac {1}{66}}={\frac {1}{11}}}$
${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{28}}+{\frac {1}{49}}+{\frac {1}{196}}={\frac {1}{13}}}$		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{28}}+{\frac {1}{49}}+{\frac {1}{196}}={\frac {1}{13}}}$
		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{30}}+{\frac {1}{45}}+{\frac {1}{90}}={\frac {1}{15}}}$
		${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{24}}+{\frac {1}{48}}={\frac {1}{16}}}$

De las 26 sumas enumeradas, diez son números del Ojo de Horus: 1/2, 1/4 (dos veces), 1/8 (tres veces), 1/16 (dos veces), 1/32, 1/64 convertidos de fracciones egipcias. Hay otras siete sumas que tienen denominadores pares convertidos de fracciones egipcias: 1/6 (enumerados dos veces, pero una vez incorrecta), 1/10, 1/12, 1/14, 1/20 y 1/30. A modo de ejemplo, las tres conversiones de 1/8 siguieron uno o dos factores de escala como alternativas:

1. 1/8 x 3/3 = 3/24 = (2 + 1)/24 = 1/12 + 1/24

2. 1/8 x 5/5 = 5/40 = (4 + 1)/40 = 1/10 + 1/40

3. 1/8 x 25/25 = 25/200 = (8 + 17)/200 = 1/25 + (17/200 x 6/6) = 1/25 + 102/1200 = 1/25 + (80 + 16 + 6)/1200 = 1/25 + 1/15 + 1/75 + 1/200

Finalmente, hubo nueve sumas, con denominadores impares, convertidas de fracciones egipcias: 2/3, 1/3 (dos veces), 1/5, 1/7, 1/9, 1/11, 1/13 y 1/15 .

Los examinadores del Museo Británico no encontraron ninguna introducción o descripción de cómo o por qué se calcularon las series de fracciones unitarias equivalentes.^[3] Las series de fracciones unitarias equivalentes están asociadas con las fracciones 1/3, 1/4, 1/8 y 1/16. Hubo un error trivial asociado con la serie final de fracciones unitarias de 1/15. La serie 1/15 se enumeró como igual a 1/6. Otro error grave se asoció con 1/13, cuestión que los examinadores de 1927 no intentaron resolver.