Hank unravels the fascinating yarn of how the world came to use so-called Arabic numerals -- from the scholarship of ancient Hindu mathematicians, to Muslim scientist Al-Khwarizmi, to the merchants...
========== To much of the world he was known by his Latin nickname Algoritmi which became the origin of the word algorithm. He pioneered a method for
solving problems called al-Jabr. Today known as algebra. Twelve hundred
years ago he published the first atlas of the known world, wrote the
first math textbook and was calculating the movement to
celestial bodies when Europeans were basically staring up this guy through toilet paper tubes. His name was Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi. But you can
just call him al-Khawarizmi. The man who made possible the math we use today. Oh also including all the numbers that
we use. (Theme music) Those most lasting legacy was
introducing so-called Arabic numerals to much to the world. He wasn't an Arab he...