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Al-Biruni

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Al-Biruni's Natal Chart

Abu Raihan Biruni, also known as Al-Biruni or Alberuni (Persian: ابوریحان بیرونی ; Arabic: أبو الريحان البيروني ) (September 15, 973 – December 13, 1048) was a Persian mathematician, physicist, scholar, encyclopedist, philosopher, astronomer, astrologer, traveller, historian, pharmacist, and teacher, who contributed greatly to the fields of astrology, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, and science.

He was born in Khwarazm, presently in Uzbekistan. He studied mathematics and astronomy under Abu Nasr Mansur.

He was a colleague of the Central Asian philosopher and physician Ibn Sina, the historian, philosopher and ethicist Ibn Miskawayh, in a university and science center established by prince Abu Al Abbas Ma'mun Khawarazmshah. He also travelled to Pakistan and India with Mahmud of Ghazni, who also became his patron, and accompanied him on his campaigns there, learning the language, and studying the religion and philosophy, and wrote Ta'rikh al-Hind ("Chronicles of India"). He also knew the Greek Language, the Sanskrit Language and possibly Syriac and Berber. He wrote his books in Persian and Arabic, but his native language was Khwarezmian.

Some of his notable achievements included:

At the age of seventeen, he calculated the latitude of Kath, Khwarazm, using the maximum altitude of the sun.
By the age of twenty-two, he had written several short works, including a study of map projections, "Cartography", which included a methodology for projecting a hemisphere on a plane.
By the age of twenty-seven, he had written a book called "Chronology" which referred to other work he had completed (now lost) that included one book about the astrolabe, one about the decimal system, four about astrology, and two about history.
He calculated the radius of the Earth to be 6,339.6 kilometres (this result was replicated in the Western world in the 16th century).

1 His works
2 Sources
3 External links

His works

Biruni's works number more than 120.

His astrological works include:

Understanding Astrology (Arabic التفهيم لصناعة التنجيم) - a question and answer style book about mathematics and astronomy and astrology, in Arabic and Persian
The Book of Instruction in the Elements of the Art of Astrology - contains introductions to astrology, astronomy and mathematics
Astrolabe

The 12th century translators did not pick up his astrological works, so his overall influence on western astrology after the Medieval period is questionable.

His contributions to mathematics include:

theoretical and practical arithmetic
summation of series
combinatorial analysis
the rule of three
irrational numbers
ratio theory
algebraic definitions
method of solving algebraic equations
geometry
Archimedes' theorems
trisection of the angle

His non-mathematical works include:

Critical study of what India says, whether accepted by reason or refused (Arabic تحقيق ما للهند من مقولة معقولة في العقل أم مرذولة) - a compendium of India's religion and philosophy
The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries (Arabic الآثار الباقية عن القرون الخالية) - a comparative study of calendars of different cultures and civilizations, interlaced with mathematical, astronomical, and historical information.
The Mas'udi Canon (Arabic القانون المسعودي) - a book about Astronomy, Geography and Engineering, named after Mas'ud, son of Mahmud of Ghazni, to whom he dedicated
Pharmacy - about drugs and medicines
Gems (Arabic الجماهر في معرفة الجواهر) about geology, minerals, and gems, dedicated to Mawdud son of Mas'ud
A historical summary book
History of Mahmud of Ghazni and his father
History of Khawarazm