Muhammed bin Mûsâ el-Hârizmî

Little is securely known about al-Khwarizmi's private life; he is known primarily through his works. He worked within the scientific culture of Abbasid Baghdad under Caliph al-Ma'mun. His most famous mathematical treatise systematically treated linear and quadratic equations through verbal and geometric procedures and became foundational to the later development of algebra. His work on Hindu-derived positional numerals, preserved mainly through a Latin tradition, had a major influence on European arithmetic. He also compiled astronomical tables and produced a geographical work containing coordinates for numerous places and physical features. His importance lies not in having “invented mathematics,” but in organizing and transmitting Greek, Indian and Islamic mathematical knowledge through systematic procedures that proved extraordinarily influential.