Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780–c. 850) was born in Khwarezm (modern Khiva region) and worked at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad under Caliph al-Ma'mun.
His contributions:
- Al-Kitab al-Mukhtasar fi Hisab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala (c. 820) — "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing" — introduced systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations. The word algebra derives from al-jabr in its title.
- Hindu-Arabic numerals — his book on Indian arithmetic introduced the decimal positional number system to the Islamic world and, through Latin translation, to Europe.
- The word algorithm derives from the Latinisation of his name: Algoritmi.
- Astronomical tables (Zij al-Sindhind) — adapted Indian astronomical methods for Islamic use.
- Geographic work — contributed to a world map commissioned by al-Ma'mun.
His legacy in modern mathematics is immense: every time you see the word "algorithm" or use algebra, you're using concepts he systematised from a Khwarezmian-born mind working in 9th-century Baghdad.
A statue of al-Khwarizmi stands in Khiva's Ichan Kala. The Uzbek government named the 1,200th anniversary year (1983) a UNESCO-recognised celebration.
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