Al-Biruni
Abu Raihan Al-Biruni (أبو الريحان البيروني) (September 15, 973 - December 13, 1048) was a Muslim mathematician, astronomer, physicist, scholar, encyclopedist, philosopher, astrologer, traveller, historian, pharmacist and teacher of Central Asian origin, who contributed greatly to the fields of mathematics, philosophy, medicine and science.
He was born in Khwarazm in what is now known to be as Uzbekistan but was then within the borders of Persian Empire. He studied mathematics and astronomy under Abu Nasr Mansur.
He was a colleague of the philosopher and physician Ibn Sina, the historian, philosopher and ethicist Miskaweh, in a university and science center established by prince Abu Al Abbas Ma'mun Khawarazmshah. He also travelled to India with Mahmud of Ghazni and accompanied him on his campaigns there, learning the language, and studying their religion and philosophy, and wrote a book on that. He also knew the Greek Language, and possibly Syriac and Berber. He wrote his books in Persian and Arabic.
Some of his notable achievements included:
- At age 17, he calculated the latitude of Kath, Khwarazm, using the maximum altitude of the sun.
- By age 22, he had written several short works, including a study of map projections, "Cartography", which included a methodology for projecting a hemisphere on a plane, .
- By age 27, he had written a book called "Chronology" which referred to other work he had completed (now lost) that included one book about the astrolabe, one about the decimal system, four about astrology, and two about history.
- He calculated the radius of the Earth to be 6,339.6 km (this result was replicated in the West in the 16th century).
Al-Biruni's works number more than 120.
His contributions to mathematics include:
His non mathematical works include:
- Critical study of what India says, whether accepted by reason or refused (Arabic تحقيق ما للهند من مقولة معقولة في العقل أم مرذولة) - a compendium of India's religion and philosophy
- The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries (Arabic الآثار الباقية عن القرون الخالية) - a comparative study of calendars of different cultures and civilizations, interlaced with mathematical, astronomical, and historical information.
- The Mas'udi Canon (Arabic القانون المسعودي) - a book about Astronomy, Geography and Engineering, named after Mas'ud, son of Mahmud of Ghazni, to whom he dedicated
- Understanding Astrology (Arabic التفهيم لصناعة التنجيم) - a question and answer style book about mathematics and astronomy, in Arabic and Persian
- Pharmacy - about drugs and medicines
- Gems (Arabic الجماهر في معرفة الجواهر) about geology, minerals, and gems, dedicated to Mawdud son of Mas'ud
- Astrolabe
- A historical summary book
- History of Mahmud of Ghazni and his father
- History of Khawarazm
