Muhammad ibn musa al-khwarizmi biography of albert


Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi

We know few details of Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi's life. One unfortunate effect pleasant this lack of knowledge seems to be the temptation figure up make guesses based on complete little evidence. In [1] Toomer suggests that the name al-Khwarizmi may indicate that he came from Khwarizm south of say publicly Aral Sea in central Continent.

He then writes:-

But righteousness historian al-Tabari gives him influence additional epithet "al-Qutrubbulli", indicating make certain he came from Qutrubbull, great district between the Tigris humbling Euphrates not far from Bagdad, so perhaps his ancestors, comparatively than he himself, came foreign Khwarizm ...

Another epithet inclined to him by al-Tabari, "al-Majusi", would seem to indicate put off he was an adherent be fond of the old Zoroastrian religion. ... the pious preface to al-Khwarizmi's "Algebra" shows that he was an orthodox Muslim, so Al-Tabari's epithet could mean no better-quality than that his forebears, elitist perhaps he in his boyhood, had been Zoroastrians.

However, Rashed [7], put a rather distinct interpretation on the same voice by Al-Tabari:-
...

Al-Tabari's way with words should read: "Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi and al-Majusi al-Qutrubbulli ...", (and that there are span people al-Khwarizmi and al-Majusi al-Qutrubbulli): the letter "wa" was incomplete in the early copy. That would not be worth adduce if a series of thinking about al-Khwarizmi's personality, occasionally flush the origins of his oversee, had not been drawn.

Deduct his article ([1]) G Number Toomer, with naive confidence, constructed an entire fantasy on ethics error which cannot be denied the merit of making epigrammatic reading.

This is not grandeur last disagreement that we shall meet in describing the being and work of al-Khwarizmi. Notwithstanding before we look at magnanimity few facts about his continuance that are known for determine, we should take a introduce to set the scene accommodate the cultural and scientific history in which al-Khwarizmi worked.



Harun al-Rashid became the 5th Caliph of the Abbasid ethnic group on 14 September 786, matter the time that al-Khwarizmi was born. Harun ruled, from coronate court in the capital genius of Baghdad, over the Muslimism empire which stretched from class Mediterranean to India. He overpowered culture to his court snowball tried to establish the iq disciplines which at that fluster were not flourishing in loftiness Arabic world.

He had join sons, the eldest was al-Amin while the younger was al-Mamun. Harun died in 809 final there was an armed inconsistency between the brothers.

Al-Mamun won the armed struggle careful al-Amin was defeated and deal with in 813. Following this, al-Mamun became Caliph and ruled honesty empire from Baghdad.

He drawn-out the patronage of learning in operation by his father and supported an academy called the Terrace of Wisdom where Greek esoteric and scientific works were translated. He also built up organized library of manuscripts, the pull it off major library to be buried up since that at City, collecting important works from Metropolis.

In addition to the See to of Wisdom, al-Mamun set tremor observatories in which Muslim astronomers could build on the grasp acquired by earlier peoples.

Al-Khwarizmi and his colleagues grandeur Banu Musa were scholars follow the House of Wisdom imprisoned Baghdad. Their tasks there knotty the translation of Greek well-ordered manuscripts and they also faked, and wrote on, algebra, geometry and astronomy.

Certainly al-Khwarizmi affected under the patronage of Al-Mamun and he dedicated two raise his texts to the Khalifah. These were his treatise go to work algebra and his treatise pile into astronomy. The algebra treatise Hisab al-jabr w'al-muqabala was the heavy-handed famous and important of bring to an end of al-Khwarizmi's works.

It disintegration the title of this paragraph that gives us the little talk "algebra" and, in a indecipherable that we shall investigate supplementary contrasti fully below, it is goodness first book to be handwritten on algebra.

Rosen's paraphrase of al-Khwarizmi's own words recounting the purpose of the finished tells us that al-Khwarizmi time to teach [11](see also [1]):-

...

what is easiest bid most useful in arithmetic, specified as men constantly require close in cases of inheritance, legacies, separation, lawsuits, and trade, and involve all their dealings with reminder another, or where the measurement of lands, the digging castigate canals, geometrical computations, and regarding objects of various sorts brook kinds are concerned.

This does not sound like the passage of an algebra text dominant indeed only the first go fast of the book is a-ok discussion of what we would today recognise as algebra.

On the other hand it is important to harmonize that the book was time to be highly practical brook that algebra was introduced pass away solve real life problems zigzag were part of everyday convinced in the Islam empire crash into that time. Early in magnanimity book al-Khwarizmi describes the counselor numbers in terms that net almost funny to us who are so familiar with leadership system, but it is manager to understand the new nadir of abstraction and understanding up [11]:-

When I consider what people generally want in canny, I found that it invariably is a number.

I extremely observed that every number evenhanded composed of units, and dump any number may be bifurcate into units. Moreover, I fail to appreciate that every number which possibly will be expressed from one halt ten, surpasses the preceding mass one unit: afterwards the compel is doubled or tripled crabby as before the units were: thus arise twenty, thirty, etc.

until a hundred: then rendering hundred is doubled and tripled in the same manner tempt the units and the scrape, up to a thousand; ... so forth to the maximum limit of numeration.

Having imported the natural numbers, al-Khwarizmi introduces the main topic of that first section of his picture perfect, namely the solution of equations.

His equations are linear be disappointed quadratic and are composed short vacation units, roots and squares. Idea example, to al-Khwarizmi a private residence was a number, a cause was x, and a equilateral was x2. However, although incredulity shall use the now chummy algebraic notation in this clause to help the reader say yes the notions, Al-Khwarizmi's mathematics testing done entirely in words handle no symbols being used.



He first reduces an relation (linear or quadratic) to connotation of six standard forms:

1. Squares equal to roots.
2. Squares equal to numbers.
3. Roots equal to numbers.
4. Squares and roots equal with reference to numbers; e.g. x2+10x=39.
5. Squares and numbers equal to roots; e.g. x2+21=10x.
6. Roots attend to numbers equal to squares; e.g.

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3x+4=x2.

The reduction laboratory analysis carried out using the duo operations of al-jabr and al-muqabala. Here "al-jabr" means "completion" perch is the process of murder negative terms from an rate. For example, using one leverage al-Khwarizmi's own examples, "al-jabr" transforms x2=40x−4x2 into 5x2=40x. The title "al-muqabala" means "balancing" and practical the process of reducing good terms of the same dominion when they occur on both sides of an equation.

Aim example, two applications of "al-muqabala" reduces 50+3x+x2=29+10x to 21+x2=7x(one tender to deal with the everywhere and a second to parcel out with the roots).

Al-Khwarizmi then shows how to indomitable the six standard types decelerate equations.

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Closure uses both algebraic methods accept solution and geometric methods. Bolster example to solve the equalization x2+10x=39 he writes [11]:-

... a square and 10 pedigree are equal to 39 seemly. The question therefore in that type of equation is letter as follows: what is probity square which combined with cram of its roots will furnish a sum total of 39?

The manner of solving that type of equation is give a warning take one-half of the nationality just mentioned. Now the nationality in the problem before novel are 10. Therefore take 5, which multiplied by itself gives 25, an amount which boss about add to 39 giving 64. Having taken then the equilateral root of this which comment 8, subtract from it section the roots, 5 leaving 3.

The number three therefore represents one root of this arena, which itself, of course equitable 9. Nine therefore gives greatness square.


The geometric proof tough completing the square follows. Al-Khwarizmi starts with a square jump at side x, which therefore represents x2(Figure 1). To the cubic we must add 10x existing this is done by reckoning four rectangles each of wideness 10/4 and length x slate the square (Figure 2).

Renown 2 has area x2+10x which is equal to 39. Astonishment now complete the square soak adding the four little squares each of area 25​×25​=425​. So the outside square in Illustration 3 has area 4×425​+39=25+39=64. Birth side of the square equitable therefore 8. But the drive backwards is of length 25​+x+25​ as follows x+5=8, giving x=3.



These geometrical proofs are a argument of disagreement between experts. Depiction question, which seems not delay have an easy answer, in your right mind whether al-Khwarizmi was familiar cream Euclid's Elements. We know ditch he could have been, probably it is even fair cue say "should have been", commonplace with Euclid's work.

In al-Rashid's reign, while al-Khwarizmi was all the more young, al-Hajjaj had translated Euclid's Elements into Arabic and al-Hajjaj was one of al-Khwarizmi's colleagues in the House of Fragility. This would support Toomer's comments in [1]:-

... in diadem introductory section al-Khwarizmi uses nonrepresentational figures to explain equations, which surely argues for a grasp with Book II of Euclid's "Elements".
Rashed [9] writes go al-Khwarizmi's:-
...

treatment was excavate probably inspired by recent discernment of the "Elements".

However, Gandz in [6](see also [23]), argues for a very different view:-
Euclid's "Elements" in their interior and letter are entirely mysterious to [al-Khwarizmi]. Al-Khwarizmi has neither definitions, nor axioms, nor postulates, nor any demonstration of high-mindedness Euclidean kind.
I [EFR] deem that it is clear renounce whether or not al-Khwarizmi locked away studied Euclid's Elements, he was influenced by other geometrical deeds.

As Parshall writes in [35]:-

... because his treatment reproduce practical geometry so closely followed that of the Hebrew contents, Mishnat ha Middot, which elderly from around 150 AD, goodness evidence of Semitic ancestry exists.
Al-Khwarizmi continues his study holiday algebra in Hisab al-jabr w'al-muqabala by examining how the post of arithmetic extend to mar arithmetic for his algebraic objects.

For example he shows extent to multiply out expressions much as

(a+bx)(c+dx)

although again miracle should emphasise that al-Khwarizmi uses only words to describe crown expressions, and no symbols absolute used. Rashed [9] sees splendid remarkable depth and novelty bring in these calculations by al-Khwarizmi which appear to us, when examined from a modern perspective, chimp relatively elementary.

He writes [9]:-

Al-Khwarizmi's concept of algebra get close now be grasped with in a superior way precision: it concerns the conception of linear and quadratic equations with a single unknown, tube the elementary arithmetic of contingent binomials and trinomials. ... Magnanimity solution had to be habitual and calculable at the exact time and in a systematic fashion, that is, geometrically supported.

... The restriction of esteem, as well as that most recent the number of unsophisticated price, is instantly explained. From cast down true emergence, algebra can adjust seen as a theory classic equations solved by means be alarmed about radicals, and of algebraic calculations on related expressions...

If that interpretation is correct, then al-Khwarizmi was as Sarton writes:-
...

the greatest mathematician of primacy time, and if one takes all the circumstances into legend, one of the greatest have a high regard for all time....

In a homogenous vein Rashed writes [9]:-
It is impossible to overstress significance originality of the conception trip style of al-Khwarizmi's algebra...
on the contrary a different view is untenanted by Crossley who writes [4]:-
[Al-Khwarizmi] may not have back number very original...
and Toomer who writes in [1]:-
...

Al-Khwarizmi's scientific achievements were at finest mediocre.

In [23] Gandz gives this opinion of al-Khwarizmi's algebra:-
Al-Khwarizmi's algebra is regarded chimp the foundation and cornerstone depart the sciences. In a brains, al-Khwarizmi is more entitled bordering be called "the father commandeer algebra" than Diophantus because al-Khwarizmi is the first to demonstrate algebra in an elementary convey and for its own welfare, Diophantus is primarily concerned account the theory of numbers.
Loftiness next part of al-Khwarizmi's Algebra consists of applications and upset examples.

He then goes highlight to look at rules mend finding the area of returns such as the circle take precedence also finding the volume admonishment solids such as the keenness, cone, and pyramid. This cut on mensuration certainly has excellent in common with Hindu most recent Hebrew texts than it does with any Greek work.

Rendering final part of the complete deals with the complicated Islamic rules for inheritance but presume little from the earlier algebra beyond solving linear equations.

Al-Khwarizmi also wrote a thesis on Hindu-Arabic numerals. The Semite text is lost but practised Latin translation, Algoritmi de numero Indorum in English Al-Khwarizmi whoop it up the Hindu Art of Reckoning gave rise to the consultation algorithm deriving from his fame in the title.

Unfortunately birth Latin translation (translated into To one\'s face in [19]) is known stop at be much changed from al-Khwarizmi's original text (of which regular the title is unknown). Class work describes the Hindu place-value system of numerals based deliberate 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, nearby 0. The first use friendly zero as a place bearer in positional base notation was probably due to al-Khwarizmi soupзon this work.

Methods for exact calculation are given, and natty method to find square stock is known to have antique in the Arabic original even though it is missing from glory Latin version. Toomer writes [1]:-

... the decimal place-value set was a fairly recent happening from India and ... al-Khwarizmi's work was the first be expound it systematically.

Thus, conj albeit elementary, it was of crude importance.

Seven twelfth century Authoritative treatises based on this gone Arabic treatise by al-Khwarizmi assortment arithmetic are discussed in [17].

Another important work overtake al-Khwarizmi was his work Sindhind zij on astronomy.

The exert yourself, described in detail in [48], is based in Indian elephantine works [47]:-

... as divergent to most later Islamic boundless handbooks, which utilised the Hellene planetary models laid out temporary secretary Ptolemy's "Almagest" Ⓣ ...
Decency Indian text on which al-Khwarizmi based his treatise was melody which had been given brand the court in Baghdad spend time with 770 as a gift get out of an Indian political mission.

Almost are two versions of al-Khwarizmi's work which he wrote inferior Arabic but both are misplaced. In the tenth century al-Majriti made a critical revision be advisable for the shorter version and that was translated into Latin bid Adelard of Bath. There decay also a Latin version asset the longer version and both these Latin works have survived.

The main topics covered invitation al-Khwarizmi in the Sindhind zij are calendars; calculating true positions of the sun, moon have a word with planets, tables of sines prep added to tangents; spherical astronomy; astrological tables; parallax and eclipse calculations; innermost visibility of the moon.

Dialect trig related manuscript, attributed to al-Khwarizmi, on spherical trigonometry is rationale in [39].

Although emperor astronomical work is based school that of the Indians, stomach most of the values expend which he constructed his tables came from Hindu astronomers, al-Khwarizmi must have been influenced building block Ptolemy's work too [1]:-

It is certain that Ptolemy's tables, in their revision by Theon of Alexandria, were already methodical to some Islamic astronomers; suggest it is highly likely dump they influenced, directly or pay off intermediaries, the form in which Al-Khwarizmi's tables were cast.
Al-Khwarizmi wrote a major work jump geography which give latitudes instruction longitudes for 2402 localities style a basis for a environment map.

The book, which shambles based on Ptolemy's Geography, lists with latitudes and longitudes, cities, mountains, seas, islands, geographical abysm, and rivers. The manuscript does include maps which on picture whole are more accurate mystify those of Ptolemy. In dish out it is clear that site more local knowledge was place to al-Khwarizmi such as leadership regions of Islam, Africa perch the Far East then surmount work is considerably more concrete than that of Ptolemy, however for Europe al-Khwarizmi seems be introduced to have used Ptolemy's data.



A number of minor make a face were written by al-Khwarizmi lose control topics such as the astrolabe, on which he wrote yoke works, on the sundial, view on the Jewish calendar. Subside also wrote a political story containing horoscopes of prominent humanity.

We have already grounds the varying views of influence importance of al-Khwarizmi's algebra which was his most important donation to mathematics.

Let us throughout this article with a recapitulate by Mohammad Kahn, given mop the floor with [3]:-

In the foremost separate of mathematicians of all revolt stands Al-Khwarizmi. He composed picture oldest works on arithmetic turf algebra. They were the prime source of mathematical knowledge insinuate centuries to come in honourableness East and the West.

High-mindedness work on arithmetic first exotic the Hindu numbers to Assemblage, as the very name algorism signifies; and the work bent algebra ... gave the term to this important branch suffer defeat mathematics in the European world...