Arab's scientists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arab's scientists - Essay Example During these years, the various "Muslim artists and scientists, princes and laborers together made a unique culture that has directly and indirectly influenced societies on every continent" (Turner, 1). In my article I will focus on the well known Arab algebraic mathematicians and their contributions towards the study of science and technology that continue to influence us even today. Discussion The modern form of ‘scientific method,’ that forms the core in all studies pertaining to mathematics and science, is said to have been first established by Ibn Al Haytham (Alhazen), a well known Persian scientist of the 10th-11century Arab world (Gorini, 53-55). In fact it has been contended by many scholars that the study of science in its modern essence has taken shape from the various scientific ideas and knowledge that transpired during the Islamic golden period (Hossein, 71). Ibn al-Haytham is considered to be a trendsetter in the field of of  experimental physics (Gorini, 55)  where his innovative methods of experimentation and quantifications, in order to differentiate between the varying scientific notions and thoughts, are still held in great esteem amongst the modern scientists.  In his famous treatise,  Book of Optics, he transformed the scientific study of  optics, where he empirically derived that owing to the  light rays  that enter the human eye makes it possible for a person to see (Elliot, 330-37). During this golden period, Islamic mathematics played an important role in the overall growth and development of Islamic scientific studies. The development in mathematics mainly grew from the various religious observations that had integrated within it, different problems related to astronomy and mathematics, especially the subjects of algebra, geometry, trigonometry,  and  arithmetic. The Islamic law of inheritance proved to be a great catalyst in the development of algebra (a derivative from the Arabic word al-jabr), a branch of mathematics, by well known Islamic mathematicians during the medieval period, such as,  Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi.   Al-Khwarizmi in his famous book Hisab al-jabr w’al-muqabala  used algebra (in the form of linear equations) to come to a logical derivation on the subject of the Islamic law of inheritance.  Later other mathematicians like Al-Hassar who in the 12th century formulated the modern mathematical symbolic notations, like fractions. Another well known mathematician in the 15th century, Abu al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Qalasadi actualized an algebraic symbolic notation which is considered to be "the first steps toward the introduction of algebraic symbolism" in the 15th century (O'Connor and  Robertson, Abu'l Hasan ibn Ali al Qalasadi, 1999). There are three main theories regarding the conceptualization of Islamic algebra, where the first one states that it was derived from Hindu scientific notions; the second theory tell us that Islamic algebra came from Mes opotamian influences; while the third theory opines that it was derived from Greek algebraic notions (Boyer, 230). Throughout the entire golden era, before the Islamic civilization came to an end, the Arab scientists were fully aware of the notions of rhetorical algebra, which was in wide use, and often the numbers were written in the form of words (like ‘