Some comments on R. J. Gillings' analysis of the \(2/n\) table in the Rhind papyrus
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: Some comments on R. J. Gillings' analysis of the \(2/n\) table in the Rhind papyrus
zbMATH Open document ID: 0389.01001
DOI: 10.1016/0315-0860(77)90082-9
author: K. Appert
published in: Historia Mathematica
publication date: 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z
review text: The authors treat some of the many mathematical and historical lapsus in the 6th chapter of \textit{R. J. Gillings'} ``Mathematics in the time of the pharaohs'' [Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press (1972; Zbl 0491.01004)]. Their conclusions that the ``prescribed standards'' are just conjectures by Gillings and not of the scribe, that the ``precepts'' are not confirmed by the material contained in the \((2/n)\)-table confirm statements by the reviewer in his evaluation of this book [Janus 59, 239--248 (1972)] where he showed that Gillings overlooked quite simple numerical relations, that the even number preponderance is not statistically but mathematically required, that the problem is for asking for a computer, which the Egyptian did not have at his disposal, and that the computer had been wrongly programmed. This last fact is confirmed also by the present authors who computed about 28000 decompositions where Gillings has \(22139\dots\) and as all numbers, but for the trivial \(n=101\), of decompositions with Gillings differ and Gillings had a smaller set for 27 out of the 50 entries\dots. Gillings analysis is deprived of a basis. The independently obtained result of the present authors who did not know of the reviewer's evaluation establishes firmly the contents of Gillings' book as ``inexact and to be refuted''.
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A15
zbMATH DE Number: 3604851
MaRDI profile type: Publication
full work available at URL: 0315-0860(77)90082-9
OpenAlex ID: W2069337937
cites work: Q5809105
cites work: Q3952066
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description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3604851