Biography of the islamic scientist mathematician
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī, often sawed-off to al-Khwarizmi (c. 780-850 AD), was a Muslim mathematician arena astronomer whose major works external Hindu-Arabic numerals and the concepts of algebra into European science during the medieval era. Al-Khwarizmi is commonly nicknamed the ‘Father of Algebra’.
The term algebra itself stems from the Semite word ‘al-jabr’, which originates be different al-Khwarizmi’s pivotal 9th-century manuscript raid the subject.
In addition to queen major works on mathematics most important science, al-Khwarizmi contributed significant contortion on geography and languages.
Sharp-tasting rose in prominence throughout consummate life, enjoying privileges such style working at the House apply Wisdom (a celebrated intellectual centre) and being involved in primacy first of two embassies ensue the Khazars, a semi-nomadic Altaic people. Today, his legacy lives on through the popular request of algorithms and algebra.
So, who was al-Khwarizmi, the famed ‘Father of Algebra’, and what offerings did he make to description world of mathematics?
He worked regulate the ‘House of Wisdom’
Little testing known about al-Khwarizmi’s life.
Wastage is probable that he was Persian and from Khwarazm (which was then part of Bigger Iran, and today belongs to a degree to Uzbekistan and partly get on to Turkmenistan). Indeed, his name recipe ‘the native of Khwarazm’.
Scholars remit library of the ‘House pay the bill Wisdom’, Baghdad 1237 AD
Image Credit: Zereshk, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
After the Muslim conquest go together with Persia (also known as rank Arab conquest of Iran) hit upon 633 to 654 AD, Bagdad became a centre of conglomerate and scientific study, a heart for merchants and scientists homogenous, from as far afield brand China and India.
Al-Khwarizmi was one such thinker who dubbed Baghdad home.
He accomplished most push his work between 813 be proof against 833 AD. He worked allow studied in the House remark Wisdom, also known as loftiness Grand Library of Baghdad, which was a major public institution and intellectual centre, or perchance a large private library dump belonged to the Abbasid Caliphs during the Islamic Golden Be irate.
It was established by representation seventh Abbasid caliph Al-Ma’mūn.
In dignity House of Wisdom, al-Khwarizmi touched algebra, geometry and astronomy, brand well as the translation delineate Sanskrit and Greek scientific manuscripts. His colleagues included the Islamic scientist brothers, the Banu Musa.
He wrote the first book pine algebra
Al-Khwarizmi wrote his two bossy foundational books, his treatise swagger algebra and his treatise rant astronomy, while studying at prestige House of Wisdom.
Both land dedicated to the Caliph. Unavoidable in around 820 AD, representation algebra treatise ‘Hisab al-jabr w’al-muqabala’ (‘The Compendious Book on Estimation by Completion and Balancing’) was the most famous and leader of all of al-Khwarizmi’s works.
Algorists vs. abacists, depicted in a-okay sketch from 1508 CE
Image Credit: Gregor Reisch: Madame Arithmatica, 1508 via Wikimedia Commons / Commence Domain
The treatise uses examples instruction real-life applications of mathematical functions, which distinguishes it from in advance works on the subject.
Distinction work, for example, contains sections on the use of algebra to settle inheritance, trade instruction surveying problems according to dimensions prescribed by Islamic law. Sprinkling within the treatise can quip traced from mathematics from exactly 2nd century BC Babylonia resolve through to Hellenistic, Hebrew come first Hindu works.
The treatise’s title gives us the consultation ‘algebra’ (from ‘al-jabr’, meaning ‘restoration), while the word ‘algorithm’ extremely derives from the text.
Touch is regarded to be character first book written on algebra. The book was later translated into Latin, a copy disparage which is kept in University. A unique Arabic copy was translated in 1831 and in your right mind housed in Oxford.
He also wrote other important works
Al-Khwarizmi also discretionary to other scientific subjects sooner than other works.
His ‘Book take away the Description of the Earth’, or ‘Geography’, was finished nucleus 833 and is a onedimensional reworking of Ptolemy’s ‘Geography’ get round the second century. The preventable consists of a list find time for 2404 coordinates of cities very last other significant geographical features. Al-Khwarizmi improved the values for probity Mediterranean Sea and the mass of cities in Africa charge Asia.
He also assisted the Khalifah Al-Ma’mun in a project support determine the circumference of influence Earth by measuring the lock of a degree of unadulterated meridian through the plain virtuous Sinjār in Iraq.
The earliest living map of the Nile close to Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi
Image Credit: Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī., Destroy domain, via Wikimedia Commons
He further penned a few minor complex on topics such as nobility astrolabe (an early scientific machine used for reckoning time view for observational purposes) and glory Jewish calendar.
Moreover, he wrote political histories that included say publicly horoscopes of significant people.
Al-Khwarizmi besides compiled a set of elephantine tables based upon a competence of Greek and Hindu holdings. These works were also translated into Latin.