Simple Division

Division in Ancient Egyptian times required the use of multiplication and often involved fractions.

Let's begin by looking at a simple division which results in a whole number solution:

The thinking behind this example is as follows:

• 125 divided by 5 gives the same answer as .... 5 multiplied by ???? makes 125.
• Multiply 5 progressively by multiples of 2 until 125 can be made.
  (Refer to Multiplication )
• The sum of the red marked numbers gives the solution.

This method is based on the simple fact known to the Ancient Egyptian scribes that multiplication is the inverse of division i.e.

a x b=c <––––> c ÷ b=a