To say that Islam has had a profound influence on mathematics is an understatement. One mathematician in particular was named Al-Khwarizmi (590-650.) Khwarizmi wrote the first text book on Algebra which was a distillation of Mesopotamian works that functioned with balancing and trade of commodities. Khwarizmi was a Muslim cleric and scholar who taught in what is now Iran.

In my class at Berkeley, I spend one lecture talking about the history of math and the evolution of numbers. I find these things fascinating really.

We use the Hindu-Arabic system as does the rest of the world. This system was not in use in Europe until the 1000 AD because Khwarizmi’s textbook sat untranslated in a Greek monastery for 300 years entering Europe and widely transcribed after being rediscovered.

Everything we have today in math is a result of Khwarizmi’s work and the role of Islam. Without trade and commerce, no predicate evolution would have occurred. Capitalism benefits all. Collectivism is a death spiral. Profit drives science.

Remember education when you vote.