Which Arab scientist could be given the credit of christening the mathematical discipline of algorithm?
- A.Al-Khwarizmi
- B.Ibn al-Haytham
- C.Ibn Rushd
- D.Ibn Sina
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Al-Khwarizmi. The word 'algorithm' comes from the Latin form of his name, Algoritmi, used in translations of his work on Hindu-Arabic numerals.
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi worked at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad in the ninth century under the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun. His book on calculation with Indian numerals spread the decimal place-value system and zero to Europe, and his treatise al-Kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wal-muqabala gave us the word 'algebra'. So he gave his name to two branches of mathematics.
B is wrong because Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) is famous for his Book of Optics and work on light and vision. C is wrong because Ibn Rushd (Averroes) was a philosopher from Spain known for his commentaries on Aristotle. D is wrong because Ibn Sina (Avicenna) is remembered for The Canon of Medicine.
Exam tip: al-Khwarizmi gives 'algorithm' and 'algebra'; Ibn Sina medicine; Ibn al-Haytham optics; Ibn Rushd philosophy.
Practice Questions
View allWhy do you think Vijayanagara incorporated agricultural tracts within the fortified area ?
- A.To promote high yield agriculture under State supervision
- B.To protect the agricultural belt from the sieges of an invading army
- C.To protect the agriculture from stray animals
- D.To protect the agriculture from drought
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Medieval sieges aimed to starve a city into surrender, so Vijayanagara kept fields and food inside its walls. The Persian ambassador Abdur Razzaq, who visited in the 1440s, described seven lines of fortification around the city, with fields, gardens and houses between them.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the eligibility criteria for becoming the member of a 'Sabha' as laid down in the Uttaramerur inscription, consider the following statements : 1. The candidate should have his own house and his own plot of land. 2. The candidate should be within 60 years of age and above 30 years. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
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The inscription asks that a member own land and a house, but it sets the age limit at 35 to 70 years, not 30 to 60.
Read the full explanation →Who gifted the Badshah Nama to King George in 1799?
- A.Abul Fazl
- B.Abdul Hamid Lahori
- C.Nawab of Awadh
- D.William Jones
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In 1799 the Nawab of Awadh presented an illustrated manuscript of the Badshah Nama to King George III of Britain, and it is now kept in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.
Read the full explanation →The Truman Doctrine of 1947 was announced to achieve which one of the following ?
- A.Containment of the USSR
- B.Increasing agricultural production in the USA
- C.Offering friendship to Europe
- D.Strengthening the UNO
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The Truman Doctrine pledged American support to countries resisting communist pressure, so as to stop the spread of Soviet influence.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following Women’s Associations and their important associates in early twentieth century India :
1. Women’s Indian Association of 1917 : Margaret Cousins
2. National Council of Women in India of 1925 : Sarala Devi Chaudhurani
3. Bharat Stree Mahamandal of 1910 : Lady Meherbai Tata
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched ?
- A.1, 2 and 3
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 2 only
- D.1 only
Show answer
Margaret Cousins was a founder of the Women’s Indian Association, but pairs 2 and 3 have their associates swapped. The Women’s Indian Association was founded at Adyar, Madras, in 1917 by Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Dorothy Jinarajadasa and others; it campaigned for women’s franchise and education.
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