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Egyptian Fractions, Jodi Ann Hanley

Theses Digitization Project

Egyptian fractions are what we know as unit fractions that are of the form 1/n - with the exception, by the Egyptians, of 2/3. Egyptian fractions have actually played an important part in mathematics history with its primary roots in number theory. This paper will trace the history of Egyptian fractions by starting at the time of the Egyptians, working our way to Fibonacci, a geologist named Farey, continued fractions, Diophantine equations, and unsolved problems in number theory.