Episodes in the Mathematics of Medieval Islam - Tapa blanda

“The author gives short reviews of Greek (and Hindu) mathematics that influenced Islamic scholars. ... this volume can be highly recommended to everyone looking for an easily accessible introduction to the mathematics of Medieval Islam.” (C. BAXA, Monatshefte für Mathematik, Vol. 187 (4), December, 2018)

“The book remains unique for its breadth and accessibility. The release of a second edition has given the author the opportunity to address two significant omissions from the original. ... Students and teachers, even those who have already read the first edition, will be rewarded by another visit.” (Glen Van Brummelen, zbMATH 1376.01001, 2018)

“A very fine book, not only for students of mathematics with a liberal arts interest in the history of their field, but also for those whose primary interest is medieval Islamic culture; here they may find a very accessible introduction to an aspect of this culture which Arabist scholars normally know by name only and whose substance they leave to historians of mathematics.” (Lens H¢yrup, Mathematical Reviews, September, 2017)

“Niazi’s book on the great thinker and scientist Qutb al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī (1236-1311) is a welcome and thought-provoking study of a particularly rich period in the history of Islamic science. A short but dense book (153 pages, excluding appendices and bibliography), it covers a wide variety of issues pertaining to Arabic and Persian astronomy during the Ilkhanid period.” (Damien Janos, Nazariyat, Vol. 1 (3), November, 2015)

This book presents an account of selected topics from key mathematical works of medieval Islam, based on the Arabic texts themselves. Many of these works had a great influence on mathematics in Western Europe. Topics covered in the first edition include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and numerical approximation; this second edition adds number theory and combinatorics. Additionally, the author has included selections from the western regions of medieval Islam―both North Africa and Spain. The author puts the works into their historical context and includes numerous examples of how mathematics interacted with Islamic society.