166 •■ OH THE EARLY 



the ordinary sources of science, extant in the time of the translators, they 

 may be safely taken as Indian, and of ancient origin. To give some idea 

 of the Algebra cf the Arabians, whereby we may be enabled to judge, 

 whether, on the one hand, it could have been derived from Diophantus ; 

 or, on the other, that of the Hindus could have been taken from them, 

 the work entitled Khuldsat-ul-Nisdb, may be taken as a specimen; 

 especially because, as will be more particularly stated in another place, 

 there is a part of this book which marks the limits of Algebraical know* 

 ledge, in the time of the writer. 



We have seen, that the first European Algebraists learnt of the Ara- 

 bians, but no account has been given of the nature, the extent, and the 

 origin of Arabian Algebra. No distinct abstract or translation of any 

 Arabic book, on the subject, has appeared in print ; nor has it been esta- 

 blished beyond controversy, who taught the Arabians. The Khuldsat- 

 ul-Hisab is of considerable repute in India; it is thought to be the best 

 treatise on Algebra, and it is almost the only book on the subject, read 

 here. I selected it, because I understood, that as well as khe shortest, it 

 was the best treatise that could be procured. Besides general report, I 

 was guided by the authority of Maulavi Roshen Ali, an acknowledged 

 good judge of such matters, who assured me that among the learned 

 Muslemans it was considered as a most complete work ; and that he 

 knew of no Arabian Algebra beyond what it contained. In the SuIdfaU 



A 



ui-Asr, a book of biography, by Niz v am-ul-bin-Ah'med, there is this ac- 

 count of Bah v a-ul-din, the author of the Khuldsat-ul-Hisab. " He was 

 u born at Bdlbec, in the month D'hi'lhaj, 953 Hijri, and died at Isfahan 

 et m Shawdl, 1031." Mention is made of many writings of Baha-ul-di'n" 

 011 religion s law, grammar, &c. a treatise on astronomy, and one on the 



