The ancient Greek mathematicians and those concerned with mathematics occasionally composed charming metrical problems "for the sake of delight." Collectors and creators of such problems included the Pythagorean Socrates (6th century BC), Metrodorus of Samus (5th century), and various anonymous figures. Many of these problems are included in the "Greek Anthology."

The solution to most problems is simple and leads to linear equations or simple linear systems. However, this collection also contains the famous "Bovine Problem" of Archimedes, whose solution is quite challenging. Many of the problems have characteristic names, such as "the problem of Euclid," "the problem of Diophantus," "the problem of the Muses," "the problem of Homer," "the Bovine problem," "the Game of Nicomachus," "the problem of the Horonome," and others.

This book also includes various simple exercises and theorems of theoretical arithmetic, as well as numerical games that have been collected from the works of various Ancient Greek mathematicians, such as Euclid, Nicomachus, Theon of Smyrna, Lamblichus, and other anonymous figures. It should be noted that the selection of the various problems and exercises was made with the aim of their independence from geometry.