1.

Archimedes Problema Bovinum

The sun god had a herd of cattle consisting of bulls and cows, one part of which
was white, a second black, a third spotted, and a fourth brown.
Among the bulls, the number of white ones was one half plus one third 56 the
number of the black greater than the brown; the number of the black, one quater plus
one fifth 209 the number of the spotted greater than the brown; the number of the
spotted, one sixth and one seventh 13 42
the number of the white greater than the
brown.
Among the cows, the number of white ones was one third plus one quarter 127
of the totatl black cattle; the number of the black, one quarter plus one fifth 209 the
total of the spotted cattle; the number of the spotted, one fifth plus one sixth 1130
the total of the brown cattle; the number of the brown, one sixth plus one seventh
13
42
the total of the white cattle.
What was the composition of the herd?

Solution. If we use the letters X, Y, Z, T to designate the number of white, black, spooted
and brown bulls respectively, and x, y, z, t to designate the number of white, black, spotted
and brown cows respectively, we obtain the following seven equations for these eight
unknowns:
1 X T = 5
6
Y
2 Y T = 9
20
Z
3 Z T = 13
42
X
4 x = 7
12
Y + y
5 y = 9
20
Z + z
6 z = 11
30
T + t
7 t = 13
42
X + x

or in matrix form:

1 56 0 1 0 0 0 0 X
0
0 1 9
1 0 0 0 0 Y
20 0
Z
13
42
0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
T
0 7
12
0 0 1 7
12
0 0 = 0 .
x
0 0 209 0 0 1 209 0 0
y
0 0 0 11 0 0 1 11 0
30 30 z
13 0 0 0 13 0 0 1 0
42 42 t
The coefficient matrix is row equivalent to :

1
 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3455 494
1813 071

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 828 946
604 357
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 7358 060
5439 213
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 461 043
604 357

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2402 120
1813 071

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 543 694
604 357

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1171 940
1813 071

and since lcm1813 071, 604 357, 5439 213 = 5439 213, it follows that
X = 10366482g
Y = 7460514g
Z = 7358060g
T = 4149387g
x = 7206360g
y = 4893246g
z = 3515820g
t = 5439213g
where g may be any positive integer. With g = 1, we get the smallest solution in positive
integers:
10, 366, 482 white bulls 7, 206, 360 white cows
7, 460, 514 black bulls 4, 893, 246 black cows
7, 358, 060 spotted bulls 3, 515, 820 spotted cows
4, 149, 387 brown bulls 5, 439, 213 brown cows

The problem of the cattle cannot properly be considered a very difficult problem, at least
in terms of present concepts. Since, however in ancient times a difficult probem was
frequently referred to as a problema bovinum or problema Archimedis, one may thus
assume that the form of the problem above does not represent the complete and original
form of Archimedes problem, especially whe one considers the rest of Archimedes brilliant
achievements, as well as the fact that Archimedes dedicated the cattle problem to the
Alexandrian astronomer Eratostenes.

The distinguished Danish authority on Archimedes J.L.Heiberg (Questiones

Archimedeae), the French mathematician P.Tannery (Sciences exactes dans lantiquit) as
well as Krummbiegel and Amthor (Schlmilchs Zeitschrift fr Mathematik und Physik, vol.
XXV, 1880) are of the opinion that Archimedes intended that X + Y be a perfect square and
that Z + T be a triangular number, i.e.,

2
 8 X+Y = U2
9 2Z + 2T = V 2 + V
for some positive integers U and V.

Let a = 3 11 29, b = 2 7 353 and c = 4657. Since

X + Y = 10366482g + 7460514g = 2 2 3 11 29 4657g = 4acg and
2Z + 2T = 2 7358060g + 2 4149387g = 2 7 353 4657g = bcg, we obtain
8 U2 = 4acg
9 V 2 + V = bcg
It follows that U is an integer multiple of 2, a and c : U = 2acu so that U 2 = 4a 2 c 2 u 2 , but
U 2 = 4acg so g = acu 2 . Subsitute this value into 9 to get V 2 + V = abc 2 u 2 and hence
2V + 1 2 = 4abc 2 u 2 + 1. Set v = 2V + 1 and d = 4abc 2 = 410 286 423 278 424 to arrive at
v 2 du 2 = 1,
a Fermat (Pell) equation, which can be solved in the manner described in Problem 19.
[James Tattersall in his book Elementary Number Theory in Nine Chapters, Cambridge U.
Press, 1999, reported that the solution was given in 1965 by H.C.Williams, R.A.German and
C.R.Zarnke of the University of Waterloo.]

Even if u is assigned the smallest conceivable value 1 in solving for g, ac = 4456749 and
the combined number of white and black bulls, i.e.,
X + Y = U 2 = 4acg = 4acacu 2 4a 2 c 2 = 79 450 446 596 004. However, since Sicily has an
area of only 25500 km 2 , this allows at most 79 45025500
446 596 004
= 3. 209 5 10 10 km 2 per bull, a
ridiculously small and impossible value.