THE ROLE OF AL-KHWARIZMI IN MATHEMATICS
Keywords:
algebra, al-jabr wa'l-muqabala, algorithm, Hindu-Arabic numerals, decimal positional system, quadratic equations, history of mathematics, Abbasid Caliphate, completing the square, systematic mathematics, arithmetic algorithms, Persian mathematician, medieval mathematics, transmission of knowledge, zero concept, geometric proofs in algebra.Abstract
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780–850 CE), a Persian polymath during the Islamic Golden Age, holds a pivotal place in the history of mathematics as the "father of algebra." Working at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, he authored groundbreaking works that systematized algebra, introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals to the Islamic world and later Europe, and advanced algorithmic processes. His seminal treatise, Al-Kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wa'l-muqabala (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing), established algebra as an independent discipline by providing systematic solutions to linear and quadratic equations. Additionally, his arithmetic text popularized the decimal positional system, while contributions to astronomy and geography demonstrated his interdisciplinary influence.
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