Can anyone recommend books on the cross-cultural history of mathematics? I've found these:<p>1) Georges Ifrah, "Universal History of Numbers", <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Universal-History-Numbers-Prehistory-Invention/dp/0471375683/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Universal-History-Numbers-Prehistory-I...</a><p><i>"the first complete account of the invention and evolution of numbers the world over ... Dubbed the "Indiana Jones of numbers," Georges Ifrah traveled all over the world for ten years to uncover the little-known details of this amazing story. From India to China, and from Egypt to Chile, Ifrah talked to mathematicians, historians, archaeologists, and philosophers."</i><p>2) Paul Calter, "Squaring the Circle: Geometry in Art & Architecture", <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Squaring-Circle-Geometry-Art-Architecture/dp/0470412127/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Squaring-Circle-Geometry-Art-Architect...</a><p><i>"the combination of the subject knowledge of design, architecture, art, geometry, philospohy, music theory, and mathematics ... Calter includes the basic lessons and explanations of a regular Geometry course in his book, but then he interweaves an integrated classical curriculum (based on deductive reasoning)"</i>
The Islamic Golden Age is pretty fantastic, not the first time I heard about it and usually a cause of pride among my muslim friends (and for good reason).<p>Too bad we're witnessing the Islamic Dark Ages right now.
Of equal importance to HN readers is work by both Ibn Khaldun [1] and Ibn Rushd (Latinized as Averroes) [2]. There are more accessible to Western readers, as both were champions of Aristotelian (analytic) philosophy. Ibn Khaldun is rightly being labeled by some as the founder of systematic sociology.<p>One of the great Muslim intellectual rivalries was the one between Averros and Al Ghazali [3], one that I won't spoil for anyone but it's a sublime look into efforts by Averroes to inject pure rationality and reason into discussions of the theological.<p>[1] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Khaldun" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Khaldun</a>
[2] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averroes" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averroes</a>
[3] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ghazali" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ghazali</a>
The Banū Mūsā brothers
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban%C5%AB_M%C5%ABs%C4%81" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban%C5%AB_M%C5%ABs%C4%81</a><p>"The most popular of their publications was the Kitāb al-Ḥiyal (The Tricks Book), which was mostly the work of Aḥmad, the middle brother, was a book filled with one hundred mechanical devices. There were some real practical inventions in the book including a lamp that would mechanically dim, alternating fountains, and a clamshell grab. Eighty of these devices were described as "trick vessels" that showed a real mastery of mechanics, with a real focus on the use of light pressure. Some of the devices seem to be replications of earlier Greek works, but the rest were much more advanced than what the Greeks had done."
There are numerous number of Muslim scientists who contributes a lot to modern mathematics.<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu%E1%B8%A5ammad_ibn_M%C5%ABs%C4%81_al-Khw%C4%81rizm%C4%AB" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu%E1%B8%A5ammad_ibn_M%C5%ABs%C...</a>
Please continue posting such links. I know some people would like only links about "hacking" (i.e. coding), but such articles really make me understand the "we are standing on the shoulders of giants" quote.<p>Especially about lesser advertised cultures such as the Islamic one.
What alphabet is used for the letters in the diagrams[0]? It's not Arabic, and it looks sort of like Greek (or maybe Phoenician), but different.<p>0. Such as this one: <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Al-jazari_water_device.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Al-jazari...</a>
In the gold old days, Tricks science was what we know now as Mechanics. This was a smart naming for this new science field, so people won't link it with Magic, which is forbidden in Islam.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna</a><p>The first to use Cannula to help a choking patient. Also contributed to the foundation of Unani (Greek-Arab) Medicine system.
For some reason, this guy never gets any love.<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_al-Shatir" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_al-Shatir</a>
Interesting coincidence (?)...right now (6 PM PDT), "History 2" channel is showing season 3, episode 2 of "Ancient Discoveries", "Machines of the East": "Examining the inventions of Arab engineer Al-Jazari, who lived in what is now modern Turkey in the 13th century, whose designs included a water clock and a variety of geared mechanisms".
Ibn Tufail the writer of "Hayy ibn Yaqdhan", the first Arabic novel
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayy_ibn_Yaqdhan" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayy_ibn_Yaqdhan</a><p>"Hayy ibn Yaqdhan had a significant influence on Arabic literature, Persian literature, and European literature, and went on to become an influential best-seller throughout Western Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The work also had a "profound influence" on both Islamic philosophy and modern Western philosophy. It became "one of the most important books that heralded the Scientific Revolution" and European Enlightenment, and the thoughts expressed in the novel can be found "in different variations and to different degrees in the books of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Isaac Newton, and Immanuel Kant."George Sarton considered the novel "one of the most original books of the Middle Ages."
The medieval polymaths were a fascinating bunch! Hildegard of Bingen[1] was a contemporary of al-Jazari, and one of the most influential European women of the late Middles Ages.<p>In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named her a Doctor of the Church[2] – a title given by the Catholic Church to only 35 people over the past 2,000 years!<p>[1] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen</a><p>[&] <a href="http://www.hildegard-society.org/p/academic-sources.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.hildegard-society.org/p/academic-sources.html</a><p>[2] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_the_Church" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_the_Church</a>
Another interesting Arab from that general period is Ahmad al-Tifashi [1]. He was a poet, writer, and anthologist, mainly known for his anthology "Promenade of the Hearts" of poetry, jokes, and anecdotes of an erotic nature or about sexual practices.<p>An English translation of the gay chapters is available: "The Delight of Hearts: Or What You Will Not Find in Any Book" [2]. I've got it, and it is an amusing, entertaining, and eye-opening read.<p>For a very very long time, I've had a little puzzle on my website. Someone is caught with the following items:<p><pre><code> 1. A large needle and thread
2. A roll of paper
3. Three small pebbles
4. A small bag of fine-grained dust
5. A small empty waterskin
6. A pair of scissors
7. A canteen full of cream
8. A fur cap
9. A purse full of counterfeit coins
10. A raw egg
</code></pre>
What are they planning?<p>For the first time, I will give a hint: the answer is in "The Delight of Hearts".<p>[1] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_al-Tifashi" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_al-Tifashi</a><p>[2] <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Delight-Hearts-What-Will/dp/0940567091" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/The-Delight-Hearts-What-Will/dp/094056...</a>
Interesting, thanks for posting. I new about semi-automatons created for the Turkish rulers for entertainment but not about Al Jazari.<p>I would like to add that the Persian, Arab and Turkish empires benefited greatly from Chinese, Indian, Roman and Greek math, technology and science that had been developed much earlier. This frequently gets glossed over or completely ignored.
For the curious, book available at:
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/200133822/The-Book-of-Knowledge-of-Ingenious-Mechanical-Devices" rel="nofollow">http://www.scribd.com/doc/200133822/The-Book-of-Knowledge-of...</a>
Why does it lead by describing him as a Muslim? I don't see anything else in the article that refers to that - he's not noted as a Imam or a Koran scholar or anything similar. Wouldn't it make more sense to simply say he was from an area that today is Turkey?
There is a 13min video with Sir Ben Kingsley as Al-Jazari on Youtube "1001 Inventions and The Library of Secrets":<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZDe9DCx7Wk" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZDe9DCx7Wk</a>
By this point, most threads on anything vaguely arab have descended into flame wars and what not. I can't believe Hacker News has managed to keep the discussion (over 87%) civil. I am in awe.
I remember learning all about Al Jazari (and all of the other Muslim scientists, philosophers and doctors at that time) back in primary school. As an Arab I can't help but feel both proud, of such achievements, and yet so sad, because of the state of decline the Islamic contribution to the scientific advancement has known.