Manjit Thakur / New Delhi

You are able to read this article because of computer algorithm. Similarly, when you post something on Facebook or Twitter or search for something on Google, related advertisements start popping on your computer screen. This is artificial intelligence and algorithms.

By the way, even if you were a student of humanities, you must have studied algebra up to class X. The reason why I am discussing Algorithm and Algebra here is that to reach to the point where this modern system of mathematical calculations rose from. The usage of digits and the decimal system, was introduced replacing a complex system of counting used by the Romans.

This new system of numbers is attributed to Al-Khwarizmi, and according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, whose full name was Mohammed ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi.

Mohammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and scholar associated with the Betul Hikmat (House of Wisdom) of Baghdad. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, al-Khwarizmi was born in 780 AD and died in 850 AD. He introduced Europe to the Hindu-Arabian numerals and gave them knowledge of al-Zebra. This algorithm is a Latin vocabulary derived from his name.

In the ninth century, Baitul Hikmat was a famous centre of scientific research and education and top minds of the Islamic Golden Age gathered here to spread the light of knowledge.

Al-Khwarizmi was among the educated people of that era who had the opportunity to work inBaitul Hikmat under the guidance of Khalifa al-Mamun, son of Khalifa Harun Rashid.

Al-Khwarizmi wrote a book in Arabic called 'Al-Kitab al-Mukhtasar Phi Hissab al-Jabar wa'l-Muqbala,' that was translated into Latin in the 12th century to solve the most complex problems of mathematics. Al-Zebra apparently has originated from there.

Al-Khwarizmi's name suggests that he belonged to the Khwarizm province of Uzbekistan, the present-day country of Central Asia. He moved to Baghdad in the early ninth century. At that time, Baghdad was ruled by the powerful Abbasi caliph and it was the capital of a huge Islamic empire.

Al-Khwarizmi worked for the Khalifa al-Ma'mun, who was an admirer of translating Greek books into Arabic, and was one of the pioneers in scientific research and understanding of its importance in history. In Baitul Hikmat, translation of scientific and philosophical articles, especially in Greek, was made available. But there was also original research.

However, the book Al-Jabra describes the measurement of the area and volume of geometric figures according to Islamic laws, as well as how to solve problems related to property and inheritance. In this book, Babylonian knowledge of mathematical methods, Hebrew and Hindu methods is clearly visible.

In the second decade of the ninth century, the Khalifa al-Ma'mun built observatories in Baghdad for astronomical research. A year or two later, critical studies of Greek astronomy began. During this time, many researchers under the supervision of al-Khwarizmi made several observations on the sun and the moon.

During this time, a table of latitude and longitude of 22 stars located at the same place was made. Meanwhile, al-Mamun ordered the construction of another observatory on the slopes of Mount Kassian, from where the city of Damascus was clearly visible. The purpose of the construction of this observatory was to collect more data in this regard.

At the completion of this work, al-Khawarijmi and his associates prepared a table of data related to the location of many stars. Another great project that was started by these scholars was even more visionary.

Greek astronomer Ptolemy in his famous book 'The Geography' recorded everything that was present related to the geography of the world. It is said that the Arabic translation of his work aroused the interest of the Islamic world in geography.

Al-Ma'mun instructed his scholars to make a new map of the world because Ptolemy's map did not include major Islamic cities such as Mecca or the capital, Baghdad. The city of Mecca was not so important during Ptolemy's era and Baghdad did not exist at that time.

Al-Khwarizmi and his colleagues decided to measure the distance between these two cities. In this regard, he collected more data of metering during the lunar eclipse. The distance he drew between these two cities in ancient times was less than two percent wrong compared to the figures of the present time. After this, he tried to re-examine other important places, the boundaries from which the location of the focal point of these places could be found.

For example, his map depicts the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean as open waterways, not landlocked seas, as Tonomy describes in his book.

He has the honour of being the 'first geographer of Islam' because of Al-Khwarizmi's book 'Surat al-Arz' ie (map of the world). This book was completed in 833 AD. This year, Khalifa al-Mamun died, but al-Khwarizmi completed the work of the Caliph and made a table of latitude and longitude of five hundred cities in his book.

In this book, various places are divided into towns, rivers, mountains, seas and islands. In each table, these places were arranged from south to north.

But Al-Khwarizmi's achievements in mathematics are so big that all his other achievements pale in front of it. The decimal number system was introduced in the Muslim world only because of his research papers written on numbers and numbers. His book Al-Jum Vall-Tafrik Bill-Hind is of great importance in the subject of Mathematics. This book was written around 825 AD. But there is no authentic Arabic translation and the title of the book is also a conjecture.

Many things related to mathematics are described in this book and it is from here that the terminology of the algorithm came into existence, which is actually the way of speaking Al-Khwarizmi in the Latin language.

In fact, the translations of this work of Al-Khwarizmi were criticized in Europe. This was the time when Europe was passing through a dark phase. This was the reason that Khwarizami's work was considered 'dangerous' or 'magical'.

Although Al-Khwarizmi is generally regarded as the father of algebra, some experts say that the great Greek mathematician Diophant and the Hindu mathematician Brahmagupta had worked on it long before al-Khwarizmi.

Nevertheless, al-Khwarizmi played an important role in popularizing algebra and his contribution to the field of geography has been extremely important.