alKhwrizm

Al-Khwarizmi, full name Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, was a Persian scholar active in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate. Working in Baghdad at the House of Wisdom, he is traditionally placed in the throat of the central Islamic scientific renaissance. His origins are linked to the Khwarezm region in Central Asia, though most of his career was spent in the Abbasid capital.

He is best known for his foundational work in algebra. In his treatise Kitab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala, he presented systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations, using procedures described as “completion” (al-jabr) and “balancing” (al-muqabala). The collection helped establish algebra as a distinct mathematical discipline, separating it from rhetoric and geometry. The term algebra itself derives from the al-jabr in the title, and his name gave rise to the term algorithm through Latin translations of his works.

Al-Khwarizmi also contributed to the spread of Hindu-Arabic numerals and decimal arithmetic. His work on the calculation with Hindu numerals, often circulated in Latin as Algoritmi de numero Indorum, described practical methods for arithmetic with the new numeral system and laid groundwork for widespread adoption in the Islamic world and later in Europe.

Beyond algebra and numerals, he wrote on astronomy and geography, producing tables and methods that influenced later scholars. His influence extended through medieval mathematics, influencing both Islamic scholarship and the European mathematical tradition, earning him a place as a key figure in the history of mathematics. He likely died in Baghdad around 850.