Al-Nayrizi

Abū’l-‘Abbās al-Faḍl ibn Ḥātim al-Nairīzī (Arabic: أبو العباس الفضل بن حاتم النيريزي‎, Latin: Anaritius, Nazirius, 865–922) was a 9th-10th century Persian mathematician and astronomer from Nayriz, Fars, Iran.

He flourished under al-Mu'tadid, Caliph from 892 to 902, and compiled astronomical tables, writing a book for al-Mu'tadid on atmospheric phenomena.

Nayrizi wrote commentaries on Ptolemy and Euclid. The latter were translated by Gerard of Cremona. Nairizi used the so-called umbra (versa), the equivalent to the tangent, as a genuine trigonometric line (but he was anticipated in this by al-Marwazi).

He wrote a treatise on the spherical astrolabe, which is very elaborate and seems to be the best Persian work on the subject. It is divided into four books:

1. Historical and critical introduction.
2. Description of the spherical astrolabe; its superiority over plane astrolabes and all other astronomical instruments.
3. Applications.
4. Applications.

He gave a proof of the Pythagorean theorem using the Pythagorean tiling.

Ibn al-Nadim mentions Nayrizi as a distinguished astronomer with Eight works by him listed in his book al-Fihrist.

References

• H. Suter: Die Mathematiker und Astronomen der Araber (45, 1900)
• Nachtrage (164, 1902).
• O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Abu'l Abbas al-Fadl ibn Hatim Al-Nayrizi", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews, http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Al-Nayrizi.html .

Primary sources

• The (fragmentary) text of Nairizi's commentary on Euclid I. PDF scans from the edition of Codex Leidensis 399 (Classical Arabic)

External links

• Sabra, A. I. (2008) [1970-80]. "Al-Nayrīzī, Abu’l-‘Abbās Al-Faḍl Ibn Ḥātim". Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2830903126.html. 
• DeYoung, Gregg (2007). "Nayrīzī: Abū al‐ʿAbbās al‐Faḍl ibn Ḥātim al‐Nayrīzī". In Thomas Hockey et al. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. New York: Springer. p. 823. ISBN 9780387310220. http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Nayrizi_BEA.htm.  (PDF version)