Question

That fondness for science ... has encouraged me to compose a short work on Hisab al-jabrw'almuqabala, confining it to what is easiest and most useful in arithmetic, such as men constantly require in cases of inheritance, legacies, partition, law-suits [all based on the Qur'an], ... the measuring of lands, the digging of canals, and geometrical computations."

a) Al-Razi
b) Ibn Sina
c) Al-Kindi
d) Al-Farabi

Answer 1

The work referred to in the quotation is 'The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing', an important algebraic text by Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi from the Islamic Golden Age.

Step-by-step explanation:

The quotation refers to the work on Hisab al-jabr w'al-muqabala, which translates to 'The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing', a foundational text in the field of algebra written by Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. This text was indicative of the advanced mathematical and scientific scholarship during the Islamic Golden Age. Al-Khwarizmi's work was highly influential and is considered a cornerstone for modern mathematical sciences, especially algebra. As the quote emphasizes the practical applications of this mathematical knowledge in various fields such as inheritance, law, land measurement, and geometry, which were integral aspects of daily life and governance in the Islamic societies of that time, it highlights the real-world utility of such academic work.