Get to Know Al Khawarizmi, the Inventor Algorithm and Algebra

His works went far beyond mathematics. He made important contributions to astronomy and developed the first quadrant for determining time by observing the Sun or stars.

The scientist who was born around 780 AD also compiled a set of astronomical tables (Zij) based on various Hindu and Greek sources. This work included the sine table. Like his treatise on algebra and Hindu-Arabic numerals, this astronomical work was translated into Latin.

Hindu-Arabic numerals are a set of 10 symbols consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, which represent numbers in the decimal number system.

This arrangement originated in India in the 6th or 7th century and was introduced to Europe through the writings of Middle Eastern mathematicians, such as Al-Khwarizmi and Al-Kindi around the 12th century.

They represented a big breakthrough with previous counting methods, such as the abacus and paved the way for the development of algebra.

In Al-Khwarizmi's book Concerning the Hindu Art of Reckoning, he was also named the inventor of the number zero in the number system. The number zero was the most recently discovered number at that time. He is also known to have written around 256 books.

Al-Khwarizmi died in 850 AD after doing work that would eventually shape the future of the world.

His discoveries influenced medieval mathematicians Fibonacci, Alberd, and Roger Bacon. But, through his algebraic expertise, Al-Khwarizmi essentially became an influencer for every mathematician since then.