function a = archimedes ( ) %*****************************************************************************80 % %% ARCHIMEDES returns the 7 by 8 Archimedes matrix. % % Formula: % % 6 -5 0 -6 0 0 0 0 % 0 20 -9 -20 0 0 0 0 % -13 0 42 -42 0 0 0 0 % 0 -7 0 0 12 -7 0 0 % 0 0 -9 0 0 20 -9 0 % 0 0 0 -11 0 0 30 -11 % -13 0 0 0 -13 0 0 42 % % Discussion: % % "The sun god had a herd of cattle, consisting of bulls and cows, % one part of which was white, a second black, a third spotted, and % a fourth brown. Among the bulls, the number of white ones was % one half plus one third the number of the black greater than % the brown; the number of the black, one quarter plus one fifth % the number of the spotted greater than the brown; the number of % the spotted, one sixth and one seventh the number of the white % greater than the brown. Among the cows, the number of white ones % was one third plus one quarter of the total black cattle; the number % of the black, one quarter plus one fifth the total of the spotted % cattle; the number of spotted, one fifth plus one sixth the total % of the brown cattle; the number of the brown, one sixth plus one % seventh the total of the white cattle. What was the composition % of the herd?" % % The 7 relations involving the 8 numbers W, X, Y, Z, w, x, y, z, % have the form: % % W = ( 5/ 6) * X + Z % X = ( 9/20) * Y + Z % Y = (13/42) * W + Z % w = ( 7/12) * ( X + x ) % x = ( 9/20) * ( Y + y ) % y = (11/30) * ( Z + z ) % z = (13/42) * ( W + w ) % % These equations may be multiplied through to an integral form % that is embodied in the above matrix. % % A more complicated second part of the problem imposes additional % constraints (W+X must be square, Y+Z must be a triangular number). % % Properties: % % A is integral: int ( A ) = A. % % A has full row rank. % % It is desired to know a solution X in positive integers of % % A * X = 0. % % The null space of A is spanned by multiples of the null vector: % % [ 10,366,482 ] % [ 7,460,514 ] % [ 7,358,060 ] % [ 4,149,387 ] % [ 7,206,360 ] % [ 4,893,246 ] % [ 3,515,820 ] % [ 5,439,213 ] % % and this is the smallest positive integer solution of the % equation A * X = 0. % % Thus, for the "simple" part of Archimedes's problem, the total number % of cattle of the Sun is 50,389,082. % % Licensing: % % This code is distributed under the GNU LGPL license. % % Modified: % % 27 September 2007 % % Author: % % John Burkardt % % Reference: % % Eric Weisstein, % CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics, % CRC Press, 1998. % % Parameters: % % Output, integer A(7,8), the matrix. % a(1:7,1:8) = [ ... 6, -5, 0, -6, 0, 0, 0, 0; ... 0, 20, -9, -20, 0, 0, 0, 0; ... -13, 0, 42, -42, 0, 0, 0, 0; ... 0, -7, 0, 0, 12, -7, 0, 0; ... 0, 0, -9, 0, 0, 20, -9, 0; ... 0, 0, 0, -11, 0, 0, 30, -11; ... -13, 0, 0, 0, -13, 0, 0, 42 ]; return end