The Interesting Origins of Algebra
As many of you know, I'm studying coding -- specifically, JavaScript, the primary front-end language of choice (as well as HTML and CSS).
The primary tool of JavaScript is Algebra, and the more I study coding the more interesting the history if its foundations become.
The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
In its original Arabic, this book is called Al-kitāb al-mukhtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-ğabr wa’l-muqābala (الكتاب المختصر في حساب الجبر والمقابلة). You can see the al prefix and the root ğabr, which means "completion" as far as I know, which combined spells alğabr or algebra when it is translated from the Latin Algebræ.
It is an Arabic treatise on mathematics written by Persian polymath Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī around 820 CE while he was in the Abbasid capital of Baghdad.
This comes from the golden age of Islamic culture, when they were creating all sorts of enlightening sciences and philosophies.
Any science or philosophy you can think of that starts with Al was made at this time: Algebra, alchemy, (there are more that escape me right now), etc.
It is so interesting to study the roots of the systems that prop up everything we rely on in our modern world!
:D
Thank for share ! @shayne
It was indeed golden age of Islamic culture!
I wish it would "regress" back to that so they can get on the right track again. The Muslims were pretty damned awesome back then: high civilization, high society, high science, tolerant culture, etc.
Yes I often wonder what might went wrong afterwards! Muslims were advanced in astrology, culture, medicine everywhere. EVEN there is a word in arabiq "iqra" which means to read and it is no less than prayer to read and explore things! It's only manmade misconceptions and ignorance to blame for the situation today!
Yes, there are many fine qualities of the Islamic religion and culture that I appreciate dearly. There is a great metaphysical truth to Islam that is overshadowed by the terrible products of their contemporary adherents.
It is unfortunate... I would love to see a Muslim state that was fit to compete academically, scientifically, and technologically with the West. I do not believe that can happen without a reformation, however.
Great job! You wrote a post about Math that I not only chose to read, but read through to the end! I appreciate math, and even tutored others in Algebra at one point, but I generally don't naturally "love" it. However, I am so glad many people do! All the best to you in your education and thanks for sharing the cool stuff you're learning :)
Hah! I appreciate that very much!
To me, math is one of the most amazing tools humans have ever used. It's a way of abstracting real things for processing and running them back into the real world with fantastic consequences!
Truly -- math is magic when you think about it!
I'm grateful the world has people like you, @shayne! :) When I homeschooled my kids, there were things I loved teaching about math, like Fibonacci numbers, and things that were not as exciting to teach, like long division. But I certainly appreciate the way Math orders our universe. Keep calculating & enjoy every moment!
Alcatraz, Alanon, Albundy
Al-gorithm! Which is the mangled version of al-Khwarizmi. Indeed, symbolic algebra would not appear for another 600-700 years - what that book shows are non-symbolic algorithmic solutions to linear and quadratic problems.
!-=o0o=-!
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