HISTORY OF ALGEBRA. 151 



It was introduced into Europe, from Arabia, towards the beginning of the 

 thirteenth century ; and the work of Diophantus became known about 

 three hundred years after. From the difference between his Algebra and 

 that of the European writers, there was reason to believe that they were 

 Rot of the same origin. 



Some learned persons thought that Diophantus was the inventor ; but 

 the more received opinion was, that his writings bore internal evidence of 

 the contrary; and' that Algebra must have been known long before his 



time. 



In 1379, BOmbelli published atreatise of Algebra, in which he says, 

 that he and'a lecturer at Rome, whom he names, had translated part of 

 Diophantus; adding, " that they had found- that in the said work the 

 ■" Indian- authors are often cited ; by which they learned that this science 

 " was known among ihe^hdians before the Arabians had it." (Hutton's 

 -Dictionary. ) 



Dr. Hutton has adopted the opinion, that the Arabians had their Al- 

 gebra from the Greeks. In his dictionary (article Algebra) we find, " the 

 " Arabians say, it was invented amongst them., by Mahomet* Bin- 

 "" Mu's'a or son of Moses, who it seems flourished about the eighth or 

 " ninth century." It may be observed, by the way, that' no Arabian 

 writer has been cited in support of this. It does not appear on what 

 foundation the assertion stands ; T imagine it is taken from Wallis. The 

 learned Muslemans in India, certainly consider the science as having 

 originated among the Indians; and the arithmetic, which in their treatises 

 always precedes Algebra, is undoubtedly Indian. 



* Muh'ammf.o-Bin-Mu's'a-ul-Kha'rezmtj according to D'Herbelot, flourished under 

 me Khalifa Mam'un, and loft a set of astronomical tables, winch >vc re highly esteemed, 

 before Nas'ruddin Tu si published his. 



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