100 great problems of elementary mathematics

Arithmetical Problems

1. Archimedes’ Problem Bovinum

Archimedes’s cattle problem

Smallest solution to Archimedes's cattle problem with each icon representing around 10206543 cattle

2. The Weight Problem of Bachet de Méziriac

Bachet’s Problem: as few weights to weigh them all

3. Newton’s Problem of the Fields and Cows

Isaac Newton Puzzle: Grazing Cows

4. Berwick’s Problem of the Seven Sevens

5. Kirkman’s Schoolgirl Problem

Kirkman’s schoolgirl problem

A solution to Kirkman's schoolgirl problem with vertices denoting girls and colours denoting days of the week

6. The Bernoulli-Euler Problem of the Misaddressed Letters

7. Euler’s Problem of Polygon Division

Euler’s Polygon Division Problem

8. Lucas’ Problem of the Married Couples

Ménage problem

A table with ten place settings. There are 3120 different ways in which five male-female couples can sit at this table such that men and women alternate and nobody sits next to their partner.

9. Omar Khayyam’s Binomial Expansion

10. Cauchy’s Mean Theorem

AM–GM inequality

Proof without words of the AM–GM inequality

11. Bernoulli’s Power Sum Problem

Bernoulli number

12. The Euler Number

13. Newton’s Exponential Series

14. Nicolaus Macerator’s Logarithmic Series

15. Newton’s Sine and Cosine Series

16. André’s Derivation of the Secant and Tangent Series

17. Gregory’s Arc Tangent Series

18. Buffon’s Needle Problem

Buffon’s needle problem

The A needle does not lie across a line, while the B needle does.

19. The Fermat-Euler Prime Number Theorem

Fermat’s theorem on sums of two squares

20. The Fermat Equation

Pell’s equation

Pell's equation for n = 2 and six of its integer solutions

21. The Fermat-Gauss Impossibility Theorem

Proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem for specific exponents

22. The Quadratic Reciprocity Law

Quadratic reciprocity

Proofs of quadratic reciprocity

23. Gauss’ Fundamental Theorem of Algebra

Fundamental theorem of algebra

24. Sturm’s Problem of the Number of Roots

Sturm’s theorem

25. Abel’s Impossibility Theorem

Abel–Ruffini theorem

26. The Hermite-Lindemann Transcendence Theorem

Hermite-Lindemann Theorem


Planimetric Problems

27. Euler’s Straight Line

Euler line

Euler's line

28. The Feuerbach Circle

Nine-point circle

The nine points

29. Castillon’s Problem

Cramer–Castillon problem

Two solutions whose sides pass through A, B, C

30. Malfatti’s Problem

Malfatti circles

Malfatti circles

31. Monge’s Problem

Power center (geometry)

Diagram of the radical center of three circles.

32. The Tangency Problem of Apollonius

Problem of Apollonius

A solution to Apollonius's problem

33. Mascheroni’s Compass Problem

Mohr–Mascheroni theorem

34. Steiner’s Straight-edge Problem

35. The Delian Cube-doubling Problem

Doubling the cube

36. Trisection of an Angle

Angle trisection

37. The Regular Heptadecagon

Heptadecagon

A regular heptadecagon

38. Archimedes’ Determination of the Number Pi

Measurement of a Circle

39. Fuss’ Problem of the Chord-Tangent Quadrilateral

Bicentric quadrilateral

40. Annex to a Survey

41. Alhazen’s Billiard Problem

Alhazen’s problem


Problems Concerning Conic Sections And Cycloids

42. An Ellipse from Conjugate Radii

43. An Ellipse in a Parallelogram

44. A Parabola from Four Tangents

45. A Parabola from Four Points

46. A Hyperbola from Four Points

47. Van Schooten’s Locus Problem

48. Cardan’s Spur Wheel Problem

Ellipsograph

49. Newton’s Ellipse Problem

50. The Poncelet-Brianchon Hyperbola Problem

51. A Parabola as Envelope

52. The Astroid

53. Steiner’s Three-pointed Hypocycloid

54. The Most Nearly Circular Ellipse Circumscribing a Quadrilateral

55. The Curvature of Conic Sections

56. Archimedes’ Squaring of a Parabola

57. Squaring a Hyperbola

58. Rectification of a Parabola

59. Desargue’s Homology Theorem (Theorem of Homologous Triangles)

Desargues’s theorem

Perspective triangles ABC and abc.

60. Steiner’s Double Element Construction

61. Pascal’s Hexagon Theorem

Pascal’s theorem

Pascal line GHK of self-crossing hexagon ABCDEF inscribed in ellipse. Opposite sides of hexagon have the same color.

62. Brianchon’s Hexagram Theorem

Brianchon’s theorem

Brianchon's theorem

63. Desargues’ Involution Theorem

64. A Conic Section from Five Elements

Five points determine a conic

65. A Conic Section and a Straight Line

66. A Conic Section and a Point


Stereometric Problems

67. Steiner’s Division of Space by Planes

68. Euler’s Tetrahedron Problem

69. The Shortest Distance Between Skew Lines

70. The Sphere Circumscribing a Tetrahedron

71. The Five Regular Solids

72. The Square as an Image of a Quadrilateral

73. The Pohlke-Schwartz Theorem

74. Gauss’ Fundamental Theorem of Axonometry

75. Hipparchus’ Stereographic Projection

Stereographic projection

76. The Mercator Projection

Mercator projection

Nautical And Astronomical Problems

77. The Problem of the Loxodrome

78. Determining the Position of a Ship at Sea

79. Gauss’ Two-Altitude Problem

80. Gauss’ Three-Altitude Problem

81. The Kepler Equation

Kepler’s equation

82. Star Setting

83. The Problem of the Sundial

84. The Shadow Curve

85. Solar and Lunar Eclipses

86. Sidereal and Synodic Revolution Periods

87. Progressive and Retrograde Motion of the Planets

88. Lambert’s Comet Problem


Extremes

89. Steiner’s Problem Concerning the Euler Number

90. Fagnano’s Altitude Base Point Problem

Fagnano’s problem

91. Fermat’s Problem for Torricelli

Fermat point

Fermat point

92. Tacking Under a Headwind

93. The Honeybee Cell (Problem by Réaumur)

94. Regiomontanus’ Maximum Problem

95. The Maximum Brightness of Venus

96. A Comet Inside the Earth’s Orbit

97. The Problem of the Shortest Twilight

98. Steiner’s Ellipse Problem

99. Steiner’s Circle Problem

100. Steiner’s Sphere Problem