logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2014
25 m

Algebra's Arabic Roots

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Algebra doesn't have one single origin point -- it developed over time and in multiple places, with many mathematicians contributing. One of those contributors was an 8th-century scholar from Baghdad named Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. Read the show notes here.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Behind the Scenes Minis: Pens and Dog Radios
Tracy and Holly talk about their favorite pens, and Tracy describes a unique radio she had as a child.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
20m 27s
Jul 9
Edwin Howard Armstrong
Edwin Howard Armstrong isn’t exactly a well-known inventor, but his work in radio literally changed communications around the globe. But his most famous invention – FM radio – became a source of constant frustration after he developed it. Research: Armstrong, Edwin H. “Frequency ... Show More
33m 22s
Jul 7
The Humble Ballpoint Pen
Before the ballpoint pen, people used their hands, reeds, bamboo, brushes, quills, and eventually nibs to write or draw. But how did things evolve from there to get to things like the fountain pen, and eventually, a ballpoint? Research: "pen." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Bri ... Show More
35m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2017
Maths in the Early Islamic World
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the flourishing of maths in the early Islamic world, as thinkers from across the region developed ideas in places such as Baghdad's House of Wisdom. Among them were the Persians Omar Khayyam, who worked on equations, and Al-Khwarizmi, latinised as ... Show More
49m 7s
Nov 2018
Who was John von Neumann?
The Hungarian-born mathematician John von Neumann made numerous contributions to mathematics, computer science and more in his relatively short life. In this episode, we learn about his meteoric rise in academia. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwor ... Show More
35m 24s
Jan 2022
Ramanujan (Encore)
Subscribe to the podcast! https://podfollow.com/everythingeverywhere/ In 1913, a young man from the city of Madras in British India sent a letter to one of the world’s preeminent mathematicians, G.H. Hardy, in Cambridge Univerisity in England.The young man had no formal education ... Show More
11m 1s
Aug 2020
BrainStuff Classics: How Old Is the Number Zero?
An analysis of the ancient Indian Bakhshali manuscript suggests the numerical symbol zero, as we use it today, may be centuries older than previously believed. Learn more in this classic episode of BrainStuff. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c ... Show More
3m 34s
Mar 2022
Aristotle, al-Fārābī, and the Dawn of Arabic Alchemy
Al-Fārābī learned from the Greeks, but he wrote for Muslims. This polymath translated Greek works on science and philosophy, offering important commentaries on both Aristotle and Plato -- in the Arabic language. You might be thinking, neither Plato nor Aristotle were nor are cons ... Show More
26m 50s
Dec 2023
Pythagoras' Utopia
What comes to your mind when you think of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek polymath? Some might think of the Pythagorean theorem, a foundational principle of mathematics. But he was also the enigmatic founder of Pythagoreanism, a mysterious secret society that strove to create a uto ... Show More
28m 58s
Sep 2021
How Numerology Works
The premise of numerology - that numbers are responsible for our destinies and personalities - is plainly nuts, but the history and thinking behind it is too interesting to skip.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More
43m 52s
May 2011
Is math a human invention or a human discovery?
In this episode, Robert and Julie take a sweeping look at math, addressing several important questions. For example: What is math? Where does math come from? What mathematical skills are we born with and how much can we understand? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www. ... Show More
37m 58s
Nov 2017
The Number Zero Might Be Older Than We Thought
A new analysis of the ancient Indian Bakhshali manuscript suggests the numerical symbol zero, as we use it today, may be centuries older than previously believed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor ... Show More
3m 9s