Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/114 - Elementary Arithmetic

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $114$

Elementary Arithmetic

If a quarter of twenty is four, what would a third of ten be?

Historical Note

This is the kind of question that was very popular in Venice and elsewhere about the middle of the sixteenth century.

Nicola Fontana, generally known as "Tartaglia" (the stammerer) was largely responsible for the invention.

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Various Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: $114$. -- Elementary Arithmetic
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Miscellaneous Puzzles: $189$. Elementary Arithmetic