Famous men 3.1 EXPERT
Which polymath from the Islamic Golden Age is considered the father of algebra and gave his name to the term “algorithm”?
67% of players answered correctly.
THE CORRECT ANSWER: Al-Khwarizmi
A 9th-century Persian mathematician, astronomer and geographer, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi worked at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad. His major work, “Abstract of Calculation by Restoration and Comparison,” introduced systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations. It is from this work that the word “algebra” (al-jabr) derives.By introducing Indian numerals and the decimal system to the Arab world, then to Europe via Latin translations, he revolutionized Western mathematics. The term “algorithm” is itself a Latin distortion of its name.His influence is colossal : without his work on the formalization of calculation, modern computing and the programming languages that we use today would probably never have seen the light of day. It remains one of the most fundamental scientific pillars in human history.