Omar Khayyam

Omar Khayyam
عمر خیّام
Statue of Khayyam by Abolhassan Sadighi
Born18 May 1048[1][2]
Died4 December 1131 (aged 83)[1][2]
Nishapur, Khorasan, Persia
Academic background
Influences
Academic work
Main interests
Influenced

Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī[1][3] (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam (Persian: عمر خیّام),[a] was a Persian polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and poetry.[4]: 94  He was born in Nishapur, the initial capital of the Seljuk Empire, and lived during the period of the Seljuk dynasty, around the time of the First Crusade.

As a mathematician, he is most notable for his work on the classification and solution of cubic equations, where he provided a geometric formulation based on the intersection of conics.[5] He also contributed to a deeper understanding of Euclid's parallel axiom.[6]: 284  As an astronomer, he calculated the duration of the solar year with remarkable precision and accuracy, and designed the Jalali calendar, a solar calendar with a very precise 33-year intercalation cycle[7]: 659  [b] which provided the basis for the Persian calendar that is still in use after nearly a millennium.

There is a tradition of attributing poetry to Omar Khayyam, written in the form of quatrains (rubāʿiyāt رباعیات). This poetry became widely known to the English-reading world in a translation by Edward FitzGerald (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, 1859), which enjoyed great success in the Orientalism of the fin de siècle.

  1. ^ a b c Tikkanen, Amy (28 February 2023). "Omar Khayyam: Persian poet and astronomer". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b Nasr, S.H.; Aminrazavi, M.; with the assistance of M. R. Jozi (2008). An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia. Volume I: From Zoroaster to Omar Khayyam. London & New York: I.B. Tauris, in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies London. ISBN 978-1-84511-541-8.
  3. ^ Dehkhoda, A.A. "Khayyam". Lūght-nāmah (in Persian). Tehran.
  4. ^ Levy, Reuben (2011) [1951]. The Persian Language. Routledge Library Editions: Iran, Volume: XV. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-83301-8.
  5. ^ O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F. (July 1999), "Omar Khayyam", MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews
  6. ^ Struik, D.J. (1958). "Omar Khayyam, mathematician". The Mathematics Teacher. LII (4): 280–285. JSTOR 27955652.
  7. ^ Boyle, J.A. (2007) [1975]. "'Umar Khayyām: Astronomer, Mathematician and Poet". In Richard N. Frye (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran. Volume IV: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 658–664. doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521200936.023. ISBN 978-0-521-20093-6.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Wine of Wisdom was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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