Who Invented Algebra? (It's Complicated) | A History of Mathematics

The Ancient History of Algebra extends across many civilisations. From the Mesopotamia and Egyptian civilisations to the Ancient Greeks, or even further East to the Ancient Indian or Chinese civilisations. All made major contributions to the development of Algebra, something that was named after a book published by an Arabian Mathematician Al-Khwarizmi.

Find out more in this video on the History of Algebra, and subscribe for more.

[shroudedscience]

Slight correction at 00:40 should be divided by 2 not 4

The Mesopotamians used multiple forms:
1) ab = [(a+b)^2 - a^2 - b^2]/2
2) ab = [(a+b)^2 - (a-b)^2]/4

[dtglzed]

Interestingly The ancient Indian “Bakhshali” manuscript, which has been carbon dated to 3rd century CE, is an ancient Hindu treatise on Arithmetic and Algebra. The Algebraic problems deal with simultaneous equations, quadratic equations, arithmetic geometric progressions & quadratic indeterminate equations.

“Bakhshali” isn’t earliest Indian Algebraic treatise. Early Algebra is found in “Shulba Sutras” (Sutra in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a condensed manual or text.) dating back to at least 800 BC. Traditional Algebra reached its pinnacle in the works of Mathematicians and Astronomers of India like Aryabhata & Bhaskara. What makes Bakhshali special is it offers mathematical proof to its theories.

Henry Thomas Colebrooke was a historian and Mathematicians. Writing in 1817, Colebrook came to the conclusion that Khwarizmi owed his Algebra to ancient Indian Vedic Hindus. After carefully examining the works of Khawarizmi and ancient Hindu mathematical texts, Colebrooke concludes: “The inevitable conclusion is that Khawarizmi, being conversant with the sciences of Hindus, must have learnt Algebra from Hindus”

Another European Mathematician, Pietro Cossali also came to the same conclusion after diligent research. He says: “Khwarizmi was skilled in Indian tongue and fond of Indian matters. He translated Indian works He was first instructor of Mμslims in Algebra”

Cossali continues “Not having taken Algebra from Greeks, Khwarizmi must have either invented it himself or taken it from Indians. The latter (taking Algebra from Indians) seems more probable”

[Playerone]

From your video it seems like everything was already developed and al kwarizmi only complied all of them nicely
So what exactly al kwarizmi developed which wasn't developed already?

[mehdiarab]

That Iranian scientist and mathematician was Khwarazmi and has nothing to do with the Arabs, the Arabs had attacked Iran at that time and despite the brutality of the Arabs, the Iranian ministers of the Abbasid king and also the Iranians themselves were able to flourish again; and it is sometimes said that it is the golden age of Islam. If it is true that it is said that the capabilities of Iranian science and art despite the domination of the Arabs over them, and if you read a little history, you will understand that even the language you speak is prepared from Iran, and if the historical reality is treated fairly, all sense You find Iran as your homeland

[mohamadrezabidgoli]

As far as I know, as someone who learned Arabic, Al-Jabr means determinism. Like "Al-Jabr va Al-Ekhtiar" = "Determinism & Free will"
And it makes sense to call Algebra, Al-Jabr since it is about equations that conclude each other.

[InaamShabir]

Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi: The Father of Algebra
❤️ For the muslim

[haroldmorris]

It's not that complicated. What is called 'Algebra' today was invented in Kemit (Egypt) well before the Pyramid Age. Credit is usually given to either Euclid who had a school in Alexandria, and "Diophantus of Alexandria" who lived between 200 to 280 CE, is often mistakenly known as the 'Father of Algebra', for his Arithmetica, a work on the solution of algebraic equations and on the theory of numbers. 500 years after Diophantus of Alexandria, came Muhammed al-Khwarizmi (c. 780-850, Baghdad - though born in the region of Khwarizm in what was northern Persia). Al-Khwarizmi gives us the word "algebra" from his book Al-kitab al-Mukhtar fi Hisab al-Jabr Wa-l-Muqabala. His pioneering work offered practical answers for land distribution, rules on inheritance, and distributing salaries.

[mohamadrezabidgoli]

00:40 The denominator should be 2, and not 4.

[InaamShabir]

Algebra as a mathematical concept developed over time through contributions from various cultures. The term "algebra" itself is derived from the Arabic word "al-jabr, " which means "reunion of broken parts." This term was popularized by the Persian mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi in his 9th-century work "Al-Kitab al-Mukhtasar fi Hisab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala" ("The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing"). Al-Khwarizmi's work laid the groundwork for modern algebra and significantly influenced its development in the Islamic Golden Age. However, algebraic concepts existed earlier in ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians and Greeks.

[SurprisedDivingBoard-vurz]

Algebra came from Zebra. They have stripes which were used in representation of Roman numerals and later numbers. IT IS NOT a joke. 14 12 20

[AasilKhan]

I love how indians claim everything was invented in india 😂

[Azaya]

The man who actually invented Algebra should Al kawarmi

[Big.Bad.Wolfie]

Arabii. Pe vremea cand inca aveau creier.