Mathematics and Her Sisters in Medieval Islam: A Selective Review of Work Done from 1985 to 1995

Abstract

This paper surveys work done over the past decade, largely in Western Europe and North America, in the history of the mathematical sciences as practiced in medieval Islam from central Asia to Spain. Among the major topics covered, in addition to the usual branches of mathematics, are mathematical geography, astronomy, and optics. We have also given accounts of some current debates on the interpretation of important texts and, in addition, we have surveyed some of the literature dealing with the interrelation of mathematics and society in medieval Islam. © 1997 Academic Press Cet exposé pré sente un rapport de recherche fait au cours de la derniè re dé cennie en histoire des sciences mathé matiques durant le Moyen  ge. Il é value l'influence islamique de cette pé riode dans le territoire qui s'é tend de l'Asie centrale jusqu'en Espagne. Parmi les sujets traité s, on y trouve la gé ographie, l'astronomie, et l'optique en plus des branches habituelles des mathé matiques. Nous donnons un compte rendu des dé bats actuels en ce qui concerne l'interpré tation de publications islamiques de cette é poque. De plus à partir des textes litté raires, on a examiné la relation entre les mathé matiques et la socié té islamique du Moyen  ge.

The Missing Problems of Gersonides—A Critical Edition, II

“…This asks, given M and N , to find x and y, such that x + y = M, and Mx + y 2 For example, the product of ten with one part of itself, plus the square of the other part, is eighty. We want to know: what is each one of the parts?…”