Greek maths became Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th century), when scholars in the Arab world translated and built upon Greek mathematical texts, making significant advancements in areas such as algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.
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During the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th century), scholars in the Arab world made significant advancements in mathematics by translating and building upon Greek mathematical texts. This led to the assimilation of Greek mathematics into Arabic mathematics.
One of the most significant contributors to this assimilation was the famous mathematician Mohammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, who lived during the 9th century and is often referred to as the “father of algebra.” Al-Khwarizmi wrote several influential mathematical texts, including “Al-kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wa’l-muqabala,” which translates to “The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing,” where he introduced the concept of algebra as a separate branch of mathematics.
Another noteworthy development during this period was the establishment of the House of Wisdom, a major intellectual center in Baghdad that was founded by the Abbasid caliph al-Ma’mun in the 9th century. The House of Wisdom was a hub of learning where scholars from different fields, including mathematics, gathered to study, translate, and develop knowledge.
Some interesting facts about the assimilation of Greek mathematics into Arabic mathematics include:
- The Arabic word for mathematics, “al-hisab,” comes from the Greek word “μάθημα” (mathēma), meaning “learning” or “knowledge.”
- Translation of Greek mathematical texts into Arabic allowed for the preservation and dissemination of mathematical knowledge throughout the Arab world and beyond.
- The Arabic numeral system, which uses decimal notation and a place-value system, was developed during this period. This system is now widely used throughout the world.
- Several important concepts in mathematics, including zero, negative numbers, and the sine function, were introduced to the West via Arabic mathematical texts.
Table: Famous Mathematicians of the Islamic Golden Age
| Mathematician | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Mohammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi | Introduced the concept of algebra as a separate branch of mathematics |
| Al-Ḥasan ibn al-Haytham | Known for his work on optics and light, including the camera obscura |
| Thabit ibn Qurra | Contributed to number theory and the study of harmonics |
| Abu l-Wafa’ al-Buzjani | Made significant contributions to spherical trigonometry and algebra |
| Al-Khazini | Known for his work on mechanics, including the laws of motion |
Overall, the assimilation of Greek mathematics into Arabic mathematics during the Islamic Golden Age had a profound impact on the development of mathematics and science. As the mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell noted, “The influence of Arab mathematics, stimulated by Greek thought, has had a profound and lasting influence upon arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and other sciences.”
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9th century
By the end of the 9th century a significant Greek mathematical corpus, including works of Euclid, Archimedes (c. 285–212/211 bc), Apollonius of Perga (c. 262–190 bc), Ptolemy (fl. ad 127–145), and Diophantus, had been translated into Arabic.
By the end of the 9th century a significant Greek mathematical corpus, including works of Euclid, Archimedes (c. 285–212/211 bc), Apollonius of Perga (c. 262–190 bc), Ptolemy (fl. ad 127–145), and Diophantus, had been translated into Arabic.
Erm, not just the Arabs or Greeks, but many others also, all adding to the discipline like building blocks one on top of the other. Civilisations wrote this down so it is known to us today, it is not entirely clear where and when these ideas were first known. Occasionally new sources come to light that challenges our established view.
I think it nieve to think maths was entirely developed when there was writing (and the two cited are quite late civilisations), numeracy precedes literacy and civilisations may have simply been writing down known theories, proofs and convention. I would add Egypt, Sumerians/Babylonians, India, Minoa and many others to the list, even prehistory cultures, mathematics has many subjects within it and different civilisations made different contributions. Invention implies the first, however, the origins of mathematics are in prehistory. Things like sexagesimal and fractional counting systems appear when writing occurs by example.
Aristotle [ https://en.wikip…
You might discover the answer to “When did Greek maths become Arabic?” in this video
The video explores the history of Arabic numerals and how they were actually based on Hindu numerals introduced to the world by Persian mathematician Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi. Al-Khawarizmi was not only an astronomer who corrected measurements of the world, but he also wrote the first math textbook, compiled an atlas of the known world, and codified knowledge from Greek and Indian traditions to make algebra easier for the average person. Although forgotten by history, his work eventually made its way to Europe where the Hindu-Arabic numeral system was adopted by merchants and scholars alike.
People also ask
In this manner, Did math come from Arabs? The reply will be: Arabic works played an important role in the transmission of mathematics to Europe during the 10th—12th centuries.
Also question is, When was Arabic algebra invented?
Answer will be: Islamic contributions to mathematics began around ad 825, when the Baghdad mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī wrote his famous treatise al-Kitāb al-mukhtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-jabr wa’l-muqābala (translated into Latin in the 12th century as Algebra et Almucabal, from which the modern term algebra is derived).
Besides, How did Greek mathematics influence Islamic mathematics?
In reply to that: One of the first Greek texts to be translated was Euclid’s Elements. This had a huge impact, and from then on the Arabic mathematicians adopted a very Greek approach to their mathematics, formulating theorems precisely and proving them formally in Euclid’s style.
Is algebra Greek or Arabic?
In reply to that: The word algebra stems from the Arabic word al-jabr, which has its roots in the title of a 9th century manuscript written by the mathematician Al-Khwarizmi.
Correspondingly, When did mathematics start in Greece?
As an answer to this: Vatican Palace, Rome, 1509. Greek mathematics allegedly began with Thales of Miletus (c. 624–548 BC). Very little is known about his life, although it is generally agreed that he was one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece.
What did Arabic mathematicians do? Although the Arabic mathematicians are most famed for their work on algebra, number theory and number systems, they also made considerable contributions to geometry, trigonometry and mathematical astronomy.
Furthermore, When did Islamic mathematics start?
Answer will be: Islamic contributions to mathematics began around ad 825, when the Baghdad mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī wrote his famous treatise al-Kitāb al-mukhtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-jabr wa’l-muqābala (translated into Latin in the 12th century as Algebra et Almucabal, from which the modern term algebra is derived).
Also asked, How did mathematics start in the 11th century?
In the 11th century a new phase of mathematics began with the translations from Arabic. Scholars throughout Europe went to Toledo, Córdoba, and elsewhere in Spain to translate into Latin the accumulated learning of the Muslims.
When did Greek mathematics start?
Response: Greek mathematics is thought to have begun with Thales of Miletus (cc. 624–c.546 BC) and Pythagoras of Samos (c. 582–c. 507 BC). Although the extent of the influence is disputed, they were probably inspired by Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics.
Was mathematics written in Arabic?
Response: Although most Islamic texts on mathematics were written in Arabic, most of them were not written by Arabs, since much like the status of Greek in the Hellenistic world, Arabic was used as the written language of non-Arab scholars throughout the Islamic world at the time.
One may also ask, How did mathematics develop in the Middle Ages? As a response to this: Many Greek and Arabic texts on mathematics were translated into Latin from the 12th century onward, leading to further development of mathematics in Medieval Europe. From ancient times through the Middle Ages, periods of mathematical discovery were often followed by centuries of stagnation.
How did Greek mathematics become a language of scholarship?
Greek became the language of scholarship throughout the Hellenistic world, and Greek mathematics merged with Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics to give rise to a Hellenistic mathematics.