Then
His textbooks became standard fare for scholars from Baghdad to medieval Europe, embedding algebra and the decimal numerals into mathematics.
Timeline of Discovery · 2 / 30
Al-Khwarizmi
c. 780 - c. 850 · Islamic Golden Age (Khwarazm / Baghdad)
Al-Khwarizmi was a mathematician and astronomer in Baghdad whose textbooks on algebra and arithmetic shaped mathematics in both the Islamic world and Europe.
- Mathematics
- Astronomy
- Islamic Golden Age
Lived
c. 780 - c. 850
Era
Islamic Golden Age
Primary field
Mathematics
Signature idea
Father of algebra; his name gave us "algorithm"
Their place in history
c. 780 - c. 850
The question they asked
How can unknown quantities be solved systematically, and how should written numbers be added, subtracted and multiplied?
The Contribution
What this scientist actually did — precisely and plainly.
His treatise “Al-jabr” gave algebra its name and taught ways to solve linear and quadratic equations by balancing terms. His arithmetic book spread the use of the Hindu–Arabic decimal system.
How the Work Advanced Knowledge
The tools, experiments and reasoning behind the discovery.
He gathered existing knowledge, reorganised it into teachable rules and demonstrations, and connected Indian number notation with Greek-style problem solving.
Why It Mattered Then / Today
From their own moment in history to the world we live in now.
Today
The word “algorithm” derives from his Latinised name. Equation-solving methods and base-ten arithmetic are still taught to generations of students worldwide.
Important Works or Discoveries
Landmarks that carried the idea into the world.
- The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
- Book on Arithmetic (Hindu–Arabic numerals)
- Tables of astronomical and geographical data
Sources
Where this profile was verified.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-22
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