EPISODES FROM THE EARLY HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS by Asger Aaboe Yale University 13 THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAAcknowledgments Figures 1.1, 1.3, 1.5 are reproduced from The Babylonian Expedi- tion of the University of of Pennsylvania, Series A: Cuneiform Texts, Vol. XX, Part 1, by H. V. Hilprecht, Philadelphia, 1906, through the courtesy of the Department of Archeology, University of Pennsyl- vania. Figure 1.4 is reproduced from A. Parrot’s Le Palais de Mari, Architecture, Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, Paris, 1958, through the courtesy of Mission Archeologique de Mari. Figure 1.6a is reproduced with the kind permission of Professor Hallo of the Yale Babylonian Collection. Ilustrated by the author Tenth Printing ©Copyright 1964 by The Mathematical Association of America (Inc.) All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions Published in Washington, D C. by The Mathematical Association of America Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 63-21916 Complete Set ISBN-0-88385-600-X Vol. 13 ISBN-0-88385-613-1 Manufactured in the United States of AmericaTo Kirsten, Anne, Erik, and Niels.