Omar Khayyam, Mathematicians, and Conversazioni with Artisans

Omar Khayyam, Mathematicians, and Conversazioni with Artisans. A. Özdura.
Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 54 (1995) nr. 1, p. 54-71.

Summary

The main purpose of this article is to substantiate the proposition that mathematicians and architect-artisans had collaborated through special meetings, called conversazioni in the text, for the application of geometry to architecture in the Islamic world. A meeting reportedly attended by Omar Khayyam furnishes convincing evidence for this proposition. The study expands on the untitled treatise written by Omar Khayyam as a response to a question raised at this meeting. The treatise is about a problem that concerns an ornamental pattern, the story of which can be traced in two other works on geometry: Abu ‘l-Wafa’ al-Buzajani’s book, What the Artisan Requires of Geometric Constructions, and an anonymous Persian treatise on ornamental geometry, On Interlocking Similar or Corresponding Figures. While these three works are analyzed in the article, the wider implications of the collaboration between mathematicians and artisans concerning the field of architecture are discussed.

Omar Khayyam – Mathematiker, Philosoph und Dichter

Omar Khayyam – Mathematiker, Philosoph und Dichter
In: Strick (Ed.) 2020 – Mathematik – einfach genial! Berlin : Springer, 2020. ISBN 978-3-662-60448-9. Pp. 97-114.

Summary:

Der persische Mathematiker, Astronom und Philosoph Omar Khayyam fand eine geniale Methode, um kubische Gleichungen zu lösen: Für jede der möglichen Gleichungstypen entwickelte er eine geeignete Konstruktion. Berühmt wurde Omar Khayyam auch als Dichter – einige seiner Verse gingen als geflügelte Worte in die englische Sprache ein.