Al-Khwarizmi

Wrote his works at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad; the word "algebra" comes from his book.

Life

Scholar of the House of Wisdom

Al-Khwarizmi was born in the region of Khwarazm in Central Asia. As a young man he went to Baghdad and worked at the House of Wisdom founded by the caliph al-Ma'mun, which brought together scholars translating and organizing knowledge from Greek, Sanskrit and Persian texts and was one of the major centers of learning in the world at the time.

Algebra and Algorithms

Around 820 CE he wrote The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing, which systematically explained methods for solving quadratic equations; the word "algebra" comes from the Arabic word for "completion" in its title. He also wrote a work introducing Indian numerals and decimal notation, and after it reached Europe in Latin translation, the word "algorithm" came from the Latinized form of his name. In addition, he directed the compilation of geographical works, revising Ptolemy's geographic coordinates.

Knowledge Passed West

Al-Khwarizmi's algebraic methods later reached Europe through al-Andalus and profoundly influenced the development of medieval and modern European mathematics. Today "algebra" and "algorithm," two core terms of mathematics and computer science, come directly from his work and his name, yet many who use them are unaware of this origin, a typical example of how knowledge passed west during the Arab Golden Age has often been downplayed by later "Eurocentric" narratives.

Legacy

Al-Khwarizmi is often hailed as the "Father of Algebra." He organized the solution of equations into systematic methods, making algebra an independent branch of mathematics. His work introducing Indian numerals circulated in Latin translation and promoted the spread of Arabic numerals and the decimal system in Europe, and the word "algorithm" derives from his name. Some scholars argue that the title "Father of Algebra" should be shared with Diophantus of Ancient Greece, since the two differed in method and emphasis.

Major works & achievements

• The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
• Introduced Indian numerals and decimal place-value notation
• Revised Ptolemy's geographic coordinates
• Compiled astronomical tables

Key dates

• 780Born c. in the Khwarazm region
• 813Went to Baghdad and worked at the House of Wisdom
• 820Wrote the founding work of algebra
• 825Wrote a treatise on arithmetic with Indian numerals
• 830Helped revise the geographic coordinates of the world
• 850Died c. this year