# Al-Khwarizmi: the father of algebra

> A 9th-century mathematician from Khiva whose book al-Kitab al-Mukhtasar gave us the word 'algebra' and whose name gave us 'algorithm'.

**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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Keywords: Al-Khwarizmi, algebra, algorithm, Khiva, Khorezm, mathematics
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: history
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-history-al-khwarizmi