Introduction
Omar Khayyam is a name most associated with astrology, poetry and mathematics. He was born on the 18th of may 1048 in Nishapur, Persia, which is presently called Iran. His full names were Ghiyath al-Din Abu’l-Fath Umar Ibn Ibrahim Al-Nisaburi al-Khayyami, which in literal translation mean ‘tent maker’. Many believe his origins could be Arabic because his name Khayyam has affiliation with the Khayyami tribe who have Arabic ancestry and settled in Persia (Iran).
Much of his younger life is not documented as little is known. However, it is clearly known that he lived in Nishapur for almost his entire life and schooled in Samarqand. His life was mostly shaped by the events that took place during the 11th century, for example, the establishment of the Mesopotamian empire that was a ruthless unstable empire whose main goal was to establish a Muslim orthodox state.
During this time, Togril Berg who was the current ruler of Seljuq proclaimed himself sultan while in Nishapur where Omar Khayyam grew up. The year 1123 was a sad time in the world, because it’s when this brilliant scholar died. He was later buried in a mausoleum in Imamzadeh Mahruq in Nishapur (Green 2-3).
Contributions
His major contribution was in the fields of algebra where he classified most algebraic equations; whereby, top on the list was the third degree equations. He not only tried to classify them, but he also gave solutions to some of them, including the geometric explanation of partial geometric and providing of 13 different types of cubic equations, which can be read in his book, the Maqalat Fial-Jabr Wa Al-Muqabila.
This book portrays his brilliance especially when it comes to classification of complex equations. He also made made some discoveries that led to the formulation of the binomial expansion, based on it having a positive integer. This great scholar was also the first mathematician to formulate the binomial theorem as well as its coefficients (Green 2-5).
Khayyam also introduced a calendar known as the Al-Tarikh-al-Jalali, which was significant because of its precision. Science is another area that Khayyam excelled in. His studies included gravity methodoligies, whereby he created ways of precisely determining certain gravity and also contributed to the science world with his three publications in metaphysics.
This title of the books that he wrote on in this field were the Nauruz-Namah, which was only until recently discovered and the Risala Dar Wujud. Poetry is another area that Khayyam exceled in. His popularity began when his book the ‘Quatrains’ was translated and published in English in the year 1839. His book is now a classic that is used as a literature material.
Although the full interpretation of his book may not be really achieved due to the complexity and weight of his mystical messages, his popularity still increases daily due to the richness of his thoughts. In spite of Khayyam writing more than ten books, only thirty monographs have been identified to date. These are in the areas of physics, one geometry and algebra, and four in the field of mathematics (Green 3-8).
Family and Education
As concerns his family, little is still known about it. Most of the details are based on assumptions. For example, it is believed that he was born in a tent maker’s family and resided in Balkh town. In the early stages of his education, he was under the guidance of Imam Mowaffaq Nishapuri; one of the celebrated tutors of the time in Khorassan. Later he acquired his education in Samarkand. Later on, he shifted to Bukhara where he got his accreditation in the field of mathematics as well astronomy based in medieval principles.
During his life, he was privileged to travel to important higher learning institutions where he got a chance to enhance his study and also to interact with other scholars. Some of the institutions he visited were the Balkh, Samarqand and Isphahan. During his visits to Samarqand, he was treated with apparent kindness due to his brilliance by high ranking people officials (Green 3-6).
Conclusion
Khayyam did not always find it easy in life in spite of his superior intellect. In the year 1092, his nightmare began when his funding to run the observatory was stopped because of his earlier support to Malik Shad; the ruler of the time. This meant that his pet project of his calendar reform was frozen.
Additionally, during the same time, he received criticism from the Orthodox Muslims who questioned the origins of his concepts by claiming that they were not line with the Muslim teachings; hence, he had to spend a lot of time moving between courts. For him, regaining his honor was very important to him. Despite all these, his work will always be remembered for centuries to come as he is known to be a man whose brilliance was ahead of his time.
Works Cited
Green, Robert. Omar Khayyam: Much More Than a Poet. Montgomery College Student Journal Of Science & Mathematics 1 (2002). 2-8. Print.