Amara nesh ness

 

Fractions[edit source]

Main article: Egyptian fraction

Rational numbers could also be expressed, but only as sums of unit fractions, i.e., sums of reciprocals of positive integers, except for 2⁄3 and 3⁄4. The hieroglyph indicating a fraction looked like a mouth, which meant "part":

Fractions were written with this fractional solidus, i.e., the numerator 1, and the positive denominator below. Thus, 1⁄3 was written as:

$=\frac{1}{3}$

Special symbols were used for 1⁄2 and for the non-unit fractions 2⁄3 and, less frequently, 3⁄4:

$=\frac{1}{2}$

$=\frac{2}{3}$

$=\frac{3}{4}$

If the denominator became too large, the "mouth" was just placed over the beginning of the "denominator":

${\displaystyle =\frac{1}{100}}$

Written numbers[edit source]

As with most modern day languages, the ancient Egyptian language could also write out numerals as words phonetically, just like one can write thirty instead of "30" in English. The word (thirty), for instance, was written as

while the numeral (30) was

This was, however, uncommon for most numbers other than one and two and the signs were used most of the time.^{[citation needed]}

Hieratic numerals[edit source]

As administrative and accounting texts were written on papyrus or ostraca, rather than being carved into hard stone (as were hieroglyphic texts), the vast majority of texts employing the Egyptian numeral system utilize the hieratic script. Instances of numerals written in hieratic can be found as far back as the Early Dynastic Period. The Old Kingdom Abusir Papyri are a particularly important corpus of texts that utilize hieratic numerals.^{[citation needed]}