Who Is Al-Khwarizmi?

The TCC Math Department chose to name the Al-Khwarizmi Math Advising and Resource Center after Al-Khwarizmi because of his many contributions to Mathematics.

Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was a 9^th-century mathematician who has been credited as being the “father of algebra.”

Al-Khwarizmi wrote the book Al-Jabr wa-al-Muqabilah (Calculation by Restoration and Reduction) from which the term “algebra” was derived.

As a member of the faculty at the “House of Wisdom”, a scientific research and teaching center, in Baghdad (in modern-day Iraq), he produced influential writings about algebra, geometry, and astronomy. His work helped to lay the foundation for modern mathematics and science.

Al-Khwarizmi was also instrumental in the transmission of the Hindu-Arabic number system from India to the Arab world and to the Western world.

References

Gin, C. (1996) Muhammad Bin Musa Al-Khwarizmi in SJSU Virtual Museum. Retrieved November 1, 2005, from http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/Museum/alkhwa.html.

Joseph, G. (1991). The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics. London: I.B. Taurus.

O'Connor, J. & Robertson, E. (1999, July). Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi in The MacTutor history of mathematics archive. Retrieved November 1, 2005, from http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Al-Khwarizmi.html.

O'Connor, J. & Robertson, E. (2005, August). Al-Khwarizmi Portraits in Khwarizmi in The MacTutor history of mathematics archive. Retrieved November 1, 2005, fromhttp://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PictDisplay/Al-Khwarizmi.html.

Tomczak, M. (2004). Al-Khwarizmi in Science, civilization and society. Retrieved November 1, 2005,  from http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/science+society/lectu-res/illustrations/lecture16/alkhwarizmi.html.

Wikipedia, (2005, October) Al-Khwarizmiz in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved November 1, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Khwarizmi.