عـــودة
Khwarizmi,
al
Khwarizmi,
al- (c. 780-c.
850), Arab mathematician, born in Khwarizm (now Khiva, Uzbekistan). He was
librarian at the court of Caliph al-Mamun and astronomer at the Baghdâd
observatory. His works on algebra, arithmetic, and astronomical tables greatly
advanced mathematical thought, and he was the first to use for mathematical
purposes the expression al jabr, from which the English word algebra is
derived. The Latin version (by the Italian translator Gerard of Cremona) of
al-Khwarizmi's treatise on algebra (based on a Hindu work) was responsible for
much of the mathematical knowledge of medieval Europe. His work on algorithms,
a term derived from his name, introduced the method of calculating by use of
Arabic numerals and decimal notation.
