Types and nomenclature of calculus in the Arab mathematical tradition

Abstract

This research aims to identify types and nomenclatures related to the science of arithmetic in Arab mathematical tradition. For this purpose, we use various sources and historical literature in the field of mathematics, arithmetic and classifications of Arabic sciences. Terms and types of calculus varied between ḥisāb al-yad, al-ʿarab, al-rūm, ḥisāb al-ʿuqūd, al-ḥisāb al-maftūh, al-jamʿe wa al-tafrīq, al-hawaʾī, al-ḥisāb al-hindī, ḥisāb al-takht, al-takht wa al-turāb, ḥisāb al-takht wa al-mayl, ḥisāb al-ghubār. In this article, we will try to identify the common ones in the concept, while shedding light on the meaning, content, and origin of each type of Arabic account, which helps us to define periods of writing treatises and manuscripts of the account whose author, source, and region are unknown.