Hassan Amini
University of Tehran, Institute for the History of Science, Faculty Member
Abū al-Wafā'al-Būzjānī is a tenth-century mathematician, mostly known for his works on practical mathematics. There are manuscripts dedicated to arithmetic among his extant works, notably a treatise, which is a mathematical glossary. In... more
Abū al-Wafā'al-Būzjānī is a tenth-century mathematician, mostly known for his works on practical mathematics. There are manuscripts dedicated to arithmetic among his extant works, notably a treatise, which is a mathematical glossary. In this chapter, the manuscripts of this treatise are introduced, its exact original title is discussed, and its content and references are presented and appended by the edition and translation of the text. The original title is On What Should Be Memorized Before the Arithmetic Book. It includes 58 terms and definitions in four main categories: number per se, plane and solid numbers, number relations, and proportion. A survey of the content and terminology of the treatise shows that it is a hybrid of Pythagorean and Euclidean arithmetic definitions.
Research Interests: History of Mathematics, Mathematics Education, History of Science, Greek Mathematics, Arabic Manuscripts, and 7 moreHistory of Arabic Mathematics, The Philosophy of Numbers and Proportions, Nicomachus of Gerasa, History of Arithmetic, Euclid's Elements, History of Islamic Mathematics, and Memory Mathematics
The history of Islamic astronomy falls under the influence of Aristotelian cosmology, in which orbs have a principal role in holding and moving the planets. Based on the prevalent accepted Aristotelian idea, these orbs are spherical... more
The history of Islamic astronomy falls under the influence of Aristotelian cosmology, in which orbs have a principal role in holding and moving the planets. Based on the prevalent accepted Aristotelian idea, these orbs are spherical shells that rotate around their center and are made of a particular substance called aether. No lightness or heaviness, rarefaction or condensation, and generation or corruption exist in the aether-filled heavens. Subsequently, any tearing or mending of these orbs is impossible. This assumption leads to a basic rule: the planets do not move in an orb but by an orb. During the medieval Islamic age, new models emerged for solving some of the anomalies in Ptolemaic astronomy; however, the assumption above was rarely disputed. This paper will introduce an unordinary case based on the book Science of the Cosmos and the Soul by Shams al-Dīn al-Samarqandī in which, besides the standard Ptolemaic system, some alternative models were briefly presented: in these new models, the tearing or mending of these orbs is possible. Considering that this assumption conflicts with Aristotelian physics, these models can be regarded as non-Aristotelian.
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ʾAnbūba is a simple instrument that has been in use during the medieval Islamic age. The Arabic term ʾAnbūba literally means the tube. The instrument was a tube devised in a particular way to determine the relative height between two... more
ʾAnbūba is a simple instrument that has been in use during the medieval Islamic age. The Arabic term ʾAnbūba literally means the tube. The instrument was a tube devised in a particular way to determine the relative height between two lands for water transportation with the purpose of irrigating the farms and gardens. In the classic Islamic age, the description and instruction of such instruments were not generally registered in a textual format, regarding that they were a component of agricultural know-how. However, the information about ʾAnbūba has reached us in four independent treatises. This article introduces the instrument ʾAnbūba, discussing its construction and application. The article also includes the edition and translation of a fifteenth-century Persian treatise written exclusively about this instrument.
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In the Classical Islamic age, the star catalogues are highly influenced by Ptolemy's work. Nevertheless, Arab scholars were active in making amendments to Almagest's values. Studying these catalogues in their context related to Arabic... more
In the Classical Islamic age, the star catalogues are highly influenced by Ptolemy's work. Nevertheless, Arab scholars were active in making amendments to Almagest's values. Studying these catalogues in their context related to Arabic astronomical traditions will shed some light on the historical evolution of the subject. This paper focuses on the star catalogues in hayʾa tradition, specifically Muntaha al-ʾidrāk fī taqāsīm al-ʾaflāk (The Utmost Attainment on the Devisions of the Orbs), by ʿAbd al-Jabbār al-Kharaqī (1084-1158 A.D.), which presents a relatively detailed star catalogue. We introduce this catalogue, identify its sources, and discuss its distinctive features.