Arithmetical Algebra in the Islamic History of Mathematics and Its Peak in the 9th/15th Century: Ibn al-Ha‘im’s al-Mumti‘
Journal Title: Nazariyat İslam Felsefe ve Bilim Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi - Year 2017, Vol 3, Issue 2
Abstract
Algebra, defined as a method to determine the unknown by means of what is known, given the link between the two, took its initial steps toward disciplinary status during the third/ninth century when al-Khwārizmī produced the first systematic study on the subject. Later Muslim mathematicians followed his lead due to this novel discipline’s propensity for improvement and beneficial application. Thus they applied arithmetic to algebra to make it more practical and open and, as a result, derived great benefits from employing it in matters of inheritance, commerce, land surveys, architecture, and other areas. Roughly 550 years after its formation as a discipline, algebra reached its peak in the aforementioned areas. One of its most famous practitioners, Ibn al-Hā’im, had a lasting and widespread influence first with his commentary on Yāsamīnī and then with his versified work al-Muqni‘ and its commentary al-Mumti‘. However, the latter work eluded the researchers’ attention – perhaps it was overshadowed by the former or lost among the other commentaries – despite its remarkable presentation of the entire conceptual and methodical repertoire of algebra as it was known at that time, not to mention its analysis of the problems and discussion of the philosophical implications in a long-lasting debate on Islamic mathematical history: Should algebra be arithmetical, geometrical, or both? Which track would be more conducive to improving the discipline so it could break new ground in the historical studies of mathematics? Thus, this article seeks to present the status of Ibn al-Hāim’s al-Mumti‘ fī sharh al-Muqni‘ in the history of mathematics, along with its outstanding features and mathematical analysis.
Authors and Affiliations
Elif Baga
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP296313
- DOI 10.12658/Nazariyat.3.2.M0009en
- Views 130
- Downloads 0
What Happened in Iznik? The Shaping of Ottoman Intellectual Life and Dawud Qaysari
This work examines the shaping of Ottoman intellectual life between 1302 and 1362 as part of the common cultural heritage of Turkistan, Iran, and Anatolia. The relevant Damascus-Cairo and Byzantine aspects are also consi...
The Problem of Periodization in Sufi Studies: The Struggle of Sufism to Become a Discipline Between the Religious Sciences and Metaphysics
The periodization of sciences is one of the essential devices of treating a field by specification and tracing the transformations in that field. Nonetheless, it would be hard to speak of robust periodization concerning...
The Power of Language in the Classical Period of Kalām
When examining classical-era kalām books, we may be at first surprised by the great importance given to language in their theological discussions and the recognition of linguists (ahl al-lugha) as authorities. Whenever M...
Islamic Philosophy: History and Problems, M. Cüneyt Kaya
M. Cüneyt Kaya (ed.), Islamic Philosophy: History and Problems [İslâm Felsefesi: Tarih ve Problemler], İstanbul: İSAM Yayınları, 2013, 869 pages, ISBN: 978-605-4829-05-7
The Possibility of Thinking on Existence: An Analysis Following the Traditions of Islamic Metaphysics
With reference to Islamic intellectual traditions, this article seeks to demonstrate the possibility of speaking about existence qua existence, namely, the possibility of metaphysical knowledge . In fulfilling this aim,...