Who Was the Father of Algebra?
If you ask, who was the father of algebra, most people would answer al-Khwarizmi. Al-Khwarizmi’s name is also known as al-Khwarizmi al-Arwa’i, which is the Arabic word for algebra. It is more than just a word, however, as it represents the man behind the development of this complex mathematical discipline.
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In the year 780 CE, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was born. He lived in Baghdad, and worked in the House of Wisdom. His first book is called “Kitab al-Jabr w’al-muqabala” (Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing). This book is considered one of the first algebra books ever written, and it is still used today. Although the word “algebra” itself was not created until much later, this is the first mathematical treatment of linear equations without symbols. Moreover, it is the first systematic solution for quadratic equations.
Before al-Khwarizmi’s work, most mathematicians used either False Position or the Reduction method to solve problems. They were not interested in exact solutions, though. Instead, they used words to describe the problem, or diagrams to show how the equations could be solved. At the time, the Egyptians, Greeks, and Babylonians were the only civilizations who understood the concepts of algebra. Their methods were flexible and often used like quantities, like x2, rather than using special symbols.
The Persian mathematician, Abu Ja’far Mohammad Ibn Mousa Al Khwarizmi, was able to perfect the field of algebra. Al-Khwarizmi worked on a wide variety of topics, including astronomy and geography. Al-Khwarizmi’s contributions to mathematics have influenced numerous other mathematicians throughout history. Among other things, his algebra has contributed to the decimal place-value system, which was a recent invention from India.
Rather than a formal theory of algebra, Al-Khwarizmi’s algebra treatise is a collection of intuitive geometric arguments. Unlike his work with Greek mathematicians, however, it is more similar to the texts of Hindu mathematicians, such as Omar Khayyam. One of the most significant features of his Algebra is the way it introduced the concept of completing the square.
In addition to his work on algebra, Al-Khwarizmi made a number of important contributions to science and mathematics. He was responsible for introducing the Indo-Arabic numerals, which are now commonly referred to as algorithms. Additionally, he oversaw the translation of several important mathematical works into Arabic, which eventually helped spread the discipline to Europe and beyond. A Latin copy of the Al-Jabr Treatise is preserved at Cambridge.
Al-Khwarizmi was a very influential figure during the Middle Ages. His work helped shape algebra as a distinct field, and his algebra has shaped every mathematician since. Indeed, al-Khwarizmi’s book is one of the most important and influential works of all time. Sadly, he died before he turned 70 years old, but his work has shaped the history of mathematics and has helped shape the world we live in. And that is all the more reason to learn more about al-Khwarizmi and the origins of algebra. You may be surprised by what you discover.