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To: jdm
Scientists like Mohammad al-Khawarizmi who invented Algebra ...

This is quite misleading. The Arabic contribution was principally the promulgation of the decimal number system. In conjunction with this, they categorized various types of calculations, which included the solution of what we recognize as polynomials of certain restricted forms. This constituted ALGEBRA, but they did not have a system of symbology, and wrote out the specifications linguistically, e.g. "Take the square of the value and add to it twice the value" - like that.

So they did not invent anything that would be naively recognized as Algebra, as we learn it in school, and their achievements were very limited from a mathematical point of view. It was left to the renaissance Italians to conquer the cubic, and it was even after that that modern algebraic notation came into use.

Just so you know!

19 posted on 09/20/2006 10:38:09 PM PDT by dr_lew
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To: dr_lew

If one were to categorize the origin of all of the great inventions, classic works of art, architecture, music, philosophy, economics, engineering, mathematics, chemistry,
science, etc., the best the Islamic facists can demonstrate is how to make suicide bomb belts, knives to saw off people's heads and cell phones to detonate car bombs!!!

Unfortunately, the knuckle-draggers lose the intellectual contest hands down!!!


24 posted on 09/20/2006 10:45:54 PM PDT by Stayfree (Check out our Flush Hillary Calendar at FLUSH HILLARY CALENDAR.COM!)
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To: dr_lew

Don't forget that the vermin so admired learning that they burned the Library of Alexandria.


25 posted on 09/20/2006 10:53:31 PM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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