Jun 10, 2015
Abu al-Wafa' al-Buzjani’s 1075th Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
You have to do something pretty great to get a moon crater named after you.
If Persian mathematician Abu al-Wafa’ al-Buzjani were alive today, he’d be 1075 years old. It’s startling, then, to consider the importance of his work, conceived of and produced so many years ago.
Today’s doodle honors this man, an innovator whose contributions to science include one of the first known introductions to negative numbers, and the development of the first quadrant, a tool used by astronomers to examine the sky. His pioneering work in spherical trigonometry was hugely influential for both mathematics and astronomy.
In our innovative society, we don’t always stop to reflect on the historical figures whose work makes our own advances possible. Abu al-Wafa’s legacy demonstrates the monumental importance of some of history’s lesser known scientists. His picture may not be pinned to the wall in elementary school classrooms, but it’s now pinned to the homepage of Google. Happy 1075th, Abu al-Wafa al-Buzjani!
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