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Khayyam Omar 1048 - 1131 (83)

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.


QUOTES

Rubaiyat

Oh, Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make,
And who with Eden didst devise the Snake;
For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man
Is blacken'd, Man's Forgiveness give---and take!

Omar Khayyam, born on May 18, 1048, in Nishapur, Iran, was a Persian philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and poet. He spent his childhood in Balkh (now northern Afghanistan). Known for his tireless work ethic and dedication to study, he sought a secluded place to focus on his pursuits, unlike his peers who aimed for positions in government. Khayyam gained fame for his contributions to astronomy and mathematics, particularly in algebra. In 1070, he wrote the book "Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra," establishing algebraic principles and introducing the symbolic representation (x) for solving equations. He referred to it as "shiy," meaning "something" in Arabic, which later became the universally recognized unknown variable, X, in the field of mathematics. He also devised the Persian calendar, which remained in use until the 20th century and is still observed in some regions of Afghanistan.

In 1079, Khayyam estimated the length of a year to be 365.242198 days—a remarkably accurate calculation for the time when advanced tools like radio telescopes and atomic clocks were unavailable. He taught that the Earth rotates and is not the center of the universe, challenging the prevailing belief at the time. Living during a tumultuous era of political and religious conflicts, Khayyam found himself in great danger when his patron was killed and he became a target. Apart from his mathematical and astronomical achievements, Khayyam was an accomplished poet.

His poetic works overshadowed his reputation as a mathematician, with around a thousand quatrains or four-line verses to his name. Introduced to the English-speaking world through Edward FitzGerald's translations, his poetry has been translated into numerous languages. Khayyam celebrated human pleasures, love, wine, and explored philosophical and existential themes. He passed away naturally on December 4, 1131.