NAME complete al-Biruni was Abu al-Raihan Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Khwarizmi al-Biruni. Scientists encyclopedic 9th century, was born in the city Khwarizmi, one of the cities in the region Uzbekistan in 362 AH (973 AD). The name of the Al-Biruni derived from the word Birun in Persian which means suburb. So named because of his birthplace is located in the suburbs Kats which is downtown Khwarizm. The city was formerly known, including Persia. Thus, al-Biruni usually known scientists from Eastern Persia.
Tradition and the environment in the country of al-Biruni affects the characters and science. At that time, the golden period of Islamic science in the Central Asian region.
He was a contemporary of Abu Nasr Mansur, the famous astronomer origin Khurasan master works of classical Greek like Ptolemy and Menelaus. Al-Biruni even had studied astronomy directly to him. The teacher Abu Nasr Mansur, although a student of Greek philosophy, but his thinking framework is not affected by the Greek Peripatetic philosophy.
Frame is taught to al-Biruni. So al-Biruni known to be quite loud and straightforward dealing with the phenomenon of Greek Peripatetic philosophy. With his Master's teachings, al-Biruni appear as a harsh critic of the Greek philosophy. He never corresponded with Ibn Sina, discussing philosophy and its influence on Muslim scholars that time (Science and Civilization in Islam In, page 115). In addition to the two scientists were contemporaries, al-Biruni also during the al-Haytham, a Muslim scientist physicist.
He includes scientists who have capital mathematical intelligence. Al-Biruni always reject any assumption born of delusion. Their thinking is logical, but never negate theology. Al-Biruni was a pioneer of scientific experimental methods in the field of mechanics, astronomy, and even psychology. He wants every theory born out of experimentation and not vice versa.
Al-Biruni including esiklopedis scientists, because experts in various branches of science. Indeed, the tradition of ancient Muslim scholars is that they are not quite satisfied master in the field of science alone. Al-Biruni besides known as a mathematician, also mastered other science fields.
Throughout his life, al-Biruni have produced works no less than 146 books (some experts even say that al-Biruni wrote 180 books). Most of the work on astronomy which there are about 35. The rest of the books on astrology, geography, pharmacology, mathematics, philosophy, religion, and history.
It controls science is astronomy, geodesy, physics, chemistry, biology, and pharmacology. He was also renowned as a researcher in philosophy, history, sociology and comparative religion. On the social field is al-Biruni earned an anthropologist, for serious research about the religious life of India.
Research results recorded with the title tahqiq lii maa al-Hindi min Maqulah Maqbulah fi Al-'Aqli aw Mardzwilah and Tarikh al-Hindi.
Among the intellectual achievement, dasaar laying the foundations of trigonometry is a great achievement al-Biruni in mathematics. Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics which deals with triangles corner.
Inside are the terms trigonometric, namely sine, cosine, and tangent. The basics of this theory turns trigonometric has long been known by scientists early Muslims ninth century AD. Al-Biruni was known as a mathematician first in the world to build the foundations of trigonometry.
Trigonometric bases are then developed Western scientists. And is applied to several branches of science, such as astronomy, architecture, and physics. Al-Biruni himself once applying mathematically determined to allow the Qibla direction from anywhere in the world.
Although the science of trigonometry has been known in Greece, but maturation is in the hands of al-Biruni. He developed a theory of trigonometry based on the Ptolemaic theory. Sinus Law (The Sine Law) is her discovery that improves the Ptolemaic theory.
This law is a theory that is beyond his time. As popular in modern trigonometric sine there are laws. Sine law is a statement about the angle of the triangle. This formula is useful calculate the remaining sides of the triangles of two angles and one side are known.
Achievement al-Biruni more recognized than Ptolemy for two reasons:
First, the theory has been put on Ptolemy sinus while still modest, using ropes or connecting two points on a circle (chord).
Second, the theory of trigonometry al-Biruni and his successors Muslim scientists were using the algebra instead of geometric shapes.
Declared sine formula and more practical formula cainggih. Using modern mathematical logic and is needed in the complicated calculations about a building. World architecture so use it to measure the corners of the building. Astronomy also benefited. In the Islamic tradition, used in astronomy, counting the month and day.
The use of algebra in the theory of trigonometry al-Biruni is possible to use the theory of algebra Al-Khawrizmi, a mathematician Khawarizm Muslim origin. He is a mathematician Khurasan generation before al-Biruni.
According to Raghib al-Sirjani, algebra Al-Khwarizmi not only inspire mathematicians Khurasan and its surroundings, like Abu Kamil Syuja al-Misri, al-Khurakhi and Omar Khayyam, but also his masterpieces Al-Jabar wa muqabalah into the main book in European universities , And al-Biruni including the assessment of scientists finding the Al-Khwarizmi.
Hence, the theory of modern trigonometry al-Biruni in fact a boon to Al-Khwarizmi's algebra. Because, thanks to the findings of al-Khwarizmi especially with his findings on the zero, al-Biruni was able to lift the science of trigonometry Ptolemaic influences scientific to the current era of modern mathematics.
Al-Biruni also describes special angles in a triangle, such as 0, 30, 45, 60, 90. The discovery could greatly contribute to other sciences. Such as physics, astronomy and geography. Because it is a mathematical science is the foundation of the science of astronomy and physics.
Therefore, The real Ptolemaic theory is simple and can not be considered as trigonometry in modern mathematical sciences. Sine law that is important in the science of mathematical laws of trigonometry.
This theory gives a substantial contribution to the development of other sciences. He has used kaedah Longtitude to allow determination of the direction of Qibla determined from everywhere in the world.
At the time he reaches intellectual maturity, al-Biruni widely supported by sultans and rulers to expand their knowledge to the field of astronomy and physics.
He wrote al-Qanun al-Mas'udi, work on the planets for the support of Sultan Mas' ud and awarded to him. This book is an encyclopedia of the greatest astronomical, constituting more than 1,500 pages. In it he determines the peak of the movement of the sun, fix the findings of Ptolemy.
Al-Biruni also lived and worked for most of his life at the court of Sultan Mahmud, and his son, Mas'ud. During that al-Biruni associate produced many works of astronomy and mathematics.
Al-Biruni has contributed to the multidimensional world of science. Works Remains are proof breadth of his knowledge of the various disciplines at once.
Besides won praise from Muslims, al-Biruni also received high honors from Western nations. His works go beyond Copernicus, Isaac Newton, and scholars of Indology that are hundreds of years ahead of him. Both scholars and Orientalists equally praised.
One form of appreciation scientists the world today is in 1970, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) embedding the name of al-Biruni to one of the craters on the moon. The crater has a diameter of 77.05 km was named a crater Al-Biruni (The Al-Biruni Crater). *
