Habash al-Hasib
Persian polymath (died c. 869 CE)
Biography
Ahmad ibn 'Abdallah al-Marwazi, known as Habash al-Hasib (Persian: حبش الحاسب, lit. 'Abyssinian calculator', died c. 869) was a Persian astronomer, geographer, and mathematician from Merv in Khorasan, who discovered the trigonometric ratios tangent, and cotangent. Al-Biruni who cited Habash in his work, expanded his astronomical tables.
Habash al-Hasib flourished in Baghdad, and died a centenarian some time between 864 and 874 possibly in Abbasid Samarra. The title "Habash" (Abbyssian) may refer to dark skin color. He worked under two Abbasid caliphs, al-Ma'mun and al-Mu'tasim.
Habash al-Hasib developed a trigonometric algorithm to solve problems related to parallax, which was later rediscovered by Johannes Kepler in 1609 and it is now known as Kepler's equation.
Habash al-Hasib is the father of the astronomer Abu Ja'far ibn Habash.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Read the full article
Advertisement
Career highlights
Employers / organisations
- House of Wisdom
Quick answers about Habash al-Hasib
- How old was Habash al-Hasib?
- Habash al-Hasib died on 874 at the age of 108.
- Where was Habash al-Hasib born?
- Habash al-Hasib was born in Merv.
- What is Habash al-Hasib's nationality?
- Habash al-Hasib is a citizen of Abbasid Caliphate.
- What does Habash al-Hasib do?
- Habash al-Hasib is known as mathematician, astronomer.
