al'Khwarizmi

Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa al'Khwarizmi

Born: about 790 in Baghdad (now in Iraq)
Died: about 850

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Al'Khwarizmi's most important work Hisab al-jabr w'al-muqabala written in 830 gives us the word algebra . This treatise classifies the solution of quadratic equations and gives geometric methods for completing the square. No symbols are used and no negative or zero coefficients were allowed.

Al'Khwarizmi also wrote on Hindu-Arabic numerals. This Arabic text is lost but a Latin translation, Algoritmi de numero Indorum in English Al-Khwarizmi on the Hindu Art of Reckoning gave rise to the word algorithm deriving from his name in the title.

The first use of zero as a place holder in positional base notation was due probably to al'Khwarizmi.

References elsewhere in this archive:

Tell me about Al'Khwarizmi's approximation to pi

Tell me about Al'Khwarizmi's work on solving equations

Other Web sites:

De Montfort University, UK

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica
  3. C A Nallino, Al'Khuwarizimi e il suo rifacimento della Geografia di Tolomeo, Raccolta di scritti editie inediti V (Rome, 1944), 458-532. 
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JOC/EFR February 1996