What s the origin of word algebra?

The word "algebra" has its roots in the Arabic word "al-jabr", which means "reunion of broken parts" or "restoration". This word first appeared in the title of a 9th-century mathematical work by the Persian mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing".

Here's a breakdown of the etymology:

* Al-jabr: This is the original Arabic word from which our modern word "algebra" is derived. It was used to describe the process of solving equations by moving terms from one side to the other, essentially "balancing" the equation.

* Al-Khwarizmi: The name of the 9th-century Persian mathematician who wrote the influential book "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing". This book introduced the concepts of algebra to the Western world.

* Algebra: This is the anglicized version of the Arabic word "al-jabr", which eventually came to encompass the entire field of mathematics dealing with symbols and operations on those symbols.

So, in essence, the word "algebra" traces its origin back to a mathematical technique used to "restore" or "balance" equations, as described in Al-Khwarizmi's seminal work.