Omar Khayyám

Omar Khayyam (1048–1131) was a Persian poet and polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and Persian literature. He was born in Nishapur, Iran and lived during the Seljuk era, around the time of the First Crusade.

As a mathematician, Omar Khayyam was the first to provide a general solution for all third-degree polynomials by using the intersection of two conic sections, a method often later attributed to Descartes. Unlike Descartes, Khayyam performed these geometric calculations by selecting a unit length while strictly adhering to the rule of homogeneity. Additionally, in his work On the Division of a Quarter of a Circle, he attempted to derive approximate numerical solutions for cubic equations using trigonometric tables. He also contributed to a deeper understanding of Euclid's parallel axiom. The Saccheri quadrilateral is sometimes called a Khayyam–Saccheri quadrilateral to credit Omar Khayyam who described it in his 11th century book Risāla fī šarḥ mā aškala min muṣādarāt kitāb Uqlīdis (Explanations of the difficulties in the postulates of Euclid). As an astronomer, he calculated the duration of the solar year with remarkable precision and accuracy, and designed the Jalali calendar, a solar calendar with a very precise 33-year intercalation cycle which provided the basis for the Persian calendar that is still in use after nearly a millennium.