Applesellers' Problem/Historical Note

Historical Note on the Applesellers' Problem
According to, this type of problem first appeared in by , in $800$ CE.

It hinges on the fact that a common mean is erroneously being calculated of $2$ for a monetary unit plus $3$ for a monetary unit equals $5$ for $2$ monetary units.

goes on to remark that, while this problem appears everywhere in European puzzle-books since its appearance here, he has never seen a non-European version.

, on the other hand, includes it in his of $1960$ under the heading Hindu Problems.

, who includes 's version in his of $1992$, notes that this was taken by  from a theme in 's, which dates from c. $850$.

However, this has not been corroborated, and it remains to be identified where in that source it was obtained.