The contributions of Islam to civilization is often overlooked: Consider algebra.
No calculator? Use your fingers and toes if needed. Right? Well, you would be accessing the deep recesses of your genetic history to count the ways the ancients did. Because humans typically have 10 digits, most counting systems, even today, use 10 as its base. But let's not jump ahead! There's a long history behind counting.
The development of writing and counting are very closely connected, and both evolved from the growth of agriculture as civilization flourished. Because of the blossoming of trade and other commercial transactions based on agriculture, methods of record-keeping were needed. But coming up with the notion of numerals didn't just appear overnight.
Evidence suggests that tallying, using wooden sticks, was commonplace as far back as 30,000 years ago, but the written counting system only goes back to circa 3400 BCE in Sumer where clay tokens were used to make records of stores (stored goods). (For a true history of civilization, skip Greece and explore Sumer!) Throughout the next 1000 years, writing and counting systems developed and spread throughout West Asia. (China and central America have separate evolutions).
The development of these systems of recording and communicating changed the nature of human consciousness; humans began to think in the abstract which spawned the growing ability to measure, record and consider their world. Consider that counting and recording eventually led to coinage, calendars, weights and measures, geometry, astronomy and more, and you soon realize how vital counting and numbers are to human growth and civilization, taking us to our latest technological breakthroughs.
Technology grows from social change, need and conditions and it all began with the simple clay token! From writing came the ability for commerce, long-distance communicate, to codify laws in government, as well as record history. And let's not forget bureaucracy! But not everyone had the ability to use the tools of written communication, at first. Nor the right. For instance, in Ancient Egypt, only scribes were permitted to indulge! So don't take your ability to wield a pen for granted. Ah Yes! Mightier than the sword. But I digress.
A little known fact is the common use of numeric - alphabetic writing systems. In other words, a letter also denotes a number. (This still makes for fun with Biblical translations and has numerous, humorous occult implications!) In fact, the Greeks, the Arabs and the Hebrews all used numeric alphabetic systems. Letters were used for numbers. Can you imagine the confusion? Can you imagine the difficulty translating Hebrew or Arabic?
But that aside, the really important question is "Who created the zero!". Ah, the lowly zero. So many of us take for granted the zero, thinking, erroneously, that such a simple concept has existed since time began. WRONG! The concept of the zero, which is not as simple as one may think, began with the Indian and Mayan cultures. (Those Mayans! Gosh darn! Their calendars, alone, is enough to blow your mind!) Zero, as a concept, permitted humans to think and calculate in much larger terms. "Without the notion of zero, the descriptive and prescriptive modeling processes in commerce, astronomy, physics, chemistry, and industry would have been unthinkable."
But what about Greece?. Well, although Greece is credited withe nearly everything in the western world, long before the Greeks, there was counting. Then came counting systems and complex math - which comes more directly from Islamic and Arabic heritage. Mythology tells us the Greeks laid the foundation for mathematics. Sorry to disillusion you. Hindu mathematicians are largely responsible for our now famous and widely accepted "decimal" system, for instance, and much more. But, the Greeks did add that tough subject we begin teaching in kindergarten and continue until senior years: Geometry.
Centuries ago, the already scientifically advanced Arabic scholars, housing a vast storehouse of knowledge and invention, began the arduous and important task of translating Greek works in order to increase learning. Important scholarly essays and notions were translated, and added to the vast Arabic library of knowledge at the time; translated works included Greek geometry. Yes, until further notice, give credit to the Greeks for geometry. In fact, give credit to Thales (c. 624-546 BCE) who is considered to be the founder of Greek geometry. But there was a new concept developed by Arabia called "Algebra". This was an Islamic invention, and was not related to the Greek translations of the time. And there is no need to impress upon dear reader of the importance of Algebra. If it were not for Algebra, many of us would have succeeded at high school math!
The history of Arab sciences and maths - Not to mention medicine - Is surprising and impressive, yet so little credit is given or acknowledged from Western societies. And that is a shame. Let's give credit where it due - And lets not forget the hugely important role that Islam played on the development of our civilization. So, for geometry, give one point to the Greeks. For Algebra, crown the Arabs. But for getting the whole ball of wax rolling, let's go back to the incredible, mystical, magical Sumerians. Google it!
