Al-Mahani, Also Known as Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Isa Encyclopedia Article

Al-Mahani, Also Known as Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Isa

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Al-Mahani, Also Known as Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Isa

c. 820-c.880

We know little about his life, and much of his writing is now lost. Only through the works of later authors quoting al-Mahani do we know he wrote on astronomy, geometry, and arithmetic. He worked on the problem of calculating the volumes of a sphere cut by a plane, and other difficult equations posed by Archimedes. His surviving works include commentaries on Euclid's Elements, the calculation of ratios, and other mathematical problems.