The life of diophantus

Activity 1.1
The life of Diophantus
Gilberto Emanuel Espejel Olivares

The life of Diophantus. History has conserved few Diophantus biographic features,notable ancient mathematician. All what it is know about him has been taken from the dedicatory that is on it sepulchral, inscription composed in form ofmath exercise. In this activity you will propose algebraic expressions to construct a lineal equation in one variable and to solve it.
1. Complete thefollowing table with the algebraic expressions that translate to the language of algebra the phrases of the left column.

Words | In the algebraic language |Walker! Here were buried the remains of Diophantus. And the numbers can show, o miracle, hoe long was his life. | x |
Which was their sixth child | x/6 |It had been also one twelfth part of his life, when his hair covered his chin. | x/6 + x/12 |
And one-seventh of his existence took place in a sterilemarriage | x/6 + x/12 + x/7 |
He spent a further five years and made him joyous birth of his previous firstborn | x/6 + x/12 + x/7 + 5 |
Who gave up his body,his beautiful existence that lasted only one half his father land | x/6 + x/12 + x/7 + 5 + x/2 |
And with deep sorrow down to the grave, having survivedfour years I death of his son | x/6 + x/12 + x/7 + 5 + x/2 + 4 |
2. Answer the following questions:

1. At what age Diophantus got married?
R= 33years.
2. At what age Diophantus was father?
R= 38 years.
3. At what age he lost his son?
R= 80 years.
4. At what age Diophantus died?
R= 84 years.