Al-Biruni on Indian Arithmetic

Abstract

Al-Biruni (A.D. 973-1048), the great Islamic encyclopaedist stayed in India from A.D. 1017 to A.D. 1030 and studied critically the arts, literature and sciences of the Indians. His observations on some of the topics and concepts of Indian arithmetic namely numerals, decimal place-value, pa̅ti and the use of dust numerals, Indian arithmetic in Arabia, rule of three and fraction have been analysed in this paper to show the type of arithmetical elements and concepts borrowed by the Arabs before al-Biruni and by al-Biruni himself.