The ancient Egyptians used a division method we call “partial quotients.” It’s a quick an intuitive way to do division.

Also check out how ancient Egyptians multiplied numbers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHXsKyVSPOU

Then read why this method works: http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2015/04/09/an-incredibly-easy-way-to-divide-numbers-ancient-math-secret-you-didnt-learn-in-school/#.VSbUyPnF98E

The problem 30 divided by 2 1/2 is documented in the Rind Mathematical Papyrus, Problem 76. The document is from ~1650 BC, which is more than 3,600 years ago.

Rind Mathematical Papyrus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhind_Mathematical_Papyrus

I came across this problem in a text about non-western mathematical history, “The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A Sourcebook” : http://amzn.to/1CuroWL

Today this algorithm is taught as the partial quotients method (pdf): http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/teaching-topics/computation/documents/div-partial-quotients-ex-1.pdf

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My Books

“The Joy of Game Theory” shows how you can use math to out-think your competition. (rated 4/5 stars on 23 reviews) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500497444

“The Irrationality Illusion: How To Make Smart Decisions And Overcome Bias” is a handbook that explains the many ways we are biased about decision-making and offers techniques to make smart decisions. (rated 5/5 stars on 1 review) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1523231467/

“Math Puzzles Volume 1” features classic brain teasers and riddles with complete solutions for problems in counting, geometry, probability, and game theory. Volume 1 is rated 4.5/5 stars on 11 reviews. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1517421624/

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“40 Paradoxes in Logic, Probability, and Game Theory” contains thought-provoking and counter-intuitive results. (rated 4.9/5 stars on 7 reviews) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1517319307/

“The Best Mental Math Tricks” teaches how you can look like a math genius by solving problems in your head (rated 4.7/5 stars on 3 reviews) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/150779651X/

“Multiply Numbers By Drawing Lines” This book is a reference guide for my video that has over 1 million views on a geometric method to multiply numbers. (rated 5/5 stars on 1 review) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500866148/

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