Advance Mathematics 800-1500 | Inventions by Muslims
Advance Mathematics 800-1500
Bold experiments and
unique innovations in the field of mathematics were carried out by Muslim
mathematicians who developed this science to an exceptionally high degree. Their contributions stretched from the end of the eighth(8th)
century to about the middle of the fifteenth(15th) century. Al-Kharizmi was the
inventor of Al-gebra (Algebra)
The regions from
which the “Muslim mathematicians” came was centred on Iran/Iraq but varied with
military conquest during the period. At its greatest extent it stretched to the
west through Turkey and North Africa to include most of Spain(Andulusia), and
to the east as far as the borders of China.
Algebra may be said
to have been invented by the Greeks, but according to Oelsner, “it was confined
to furnishing amusement for the plays of the goblet”. Muslims developed it and
applied it to higher purposes. Thus, the first great
Muslim mathematician, the Persian Al-Khawarizmi, invented the subject of
algebra (al-Jabr), which gave mathematics a whole new dimension and development
path so much broader in concept than before.
Another important
aspect of the introduction of algebraic ideas was that it allowed mathematics
to be applied to itself in a way which had not happened before.
Al-Khawarizmi
also introduced a method similar to long division to extract the square root
(jithr) of a number. He was the first to introduce the concept of mal (power)
for the squared unknown variable. He perfected and developed the geometric
representations of quadratic equations having two variables, e.g the circle, ellipse, parabola and hyperbola
(conic sections) etc. Al-Khawarizmi’s work, in Latin translation, brought the
Arabic numerals along with the mathematics to Europe, through Spain (Andulusia)
The word “algorithm” is derived from his name.
The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word “cipher” comes
from Arabic sifr), and they organized the numbers into the decimal system –
base 10. They invented spherical trigonometry, discovered the tangent and were
first, “to introduce the sine of arc in Trigonometrical Calculations” Zero is
an invaluable addition made to mathematical science by the Muslims.
They have also shown
remarkable progress in mathematical geography.
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