Solving the Ancient Camel Puzzle: A 3,500-Year-Old Mathematical Trick

A sheikh's will leaves behind 17 camels to be divided between his three sons in an impossible way—until a passing traveler offers a clever solution. But how does an extra camel make everything work, and why wasn’t it really needed? Professor Sarah Hart dissects this ancient puzzle which has stumped minds for over 3,500 years.

Clipe from the longer lecture: Mathematical Puzzles and Paradoxes

Sarah Hart Professor of Geometry

Professor Sarah Hart

Professor of Geometry

Sarah Hart was the first woman Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, and was appointed in 2020. She is Professor of Mathematics and until recently was Head of Mathematics and Statistics at Birkbeck, University of London.

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