History of Algebra: The Cossic Arte

Question 1

Which mathematician, in 1634, used numbers for exponentiation like this: "x3 - 9x2 + 3x1 - 27"?

Accepted Answer

Pierre Herigone

Question 2

In the following Pacioli notation, what most closely matches "co"?

Accepted Answer

A variable, such as length

Question 3

What type of equation was not known to Al-Khwarizmi, but was solvable for Omar Khayyam?

Accepted Answer

Cubic equations

Question 4

Which word most closely matches the translation of the word "Coss"?

Accepted Answer

Thing

Question 5

True or False: Thomas Harriott would write x^3+x^2+x+1 as "xxx + xx + x + 1."

Accepted Answer

True

Question 6

Which Scottish mathematician used exponents like this: x^{iii}+9x^{ii}+3x^i+27?

Accepted Answer

James Hume

Question 7

What "verbal" form of algebra was used by Al-Khwarizmi, Khayyam, Leonardo di Pisa, and everyone else before the 1400s?

Accepted Answer

Rhetorical

Question 8

True or False: modern algebraic notation was largely innovated by Al-Khwarizmi.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 9

Which author wrote a book, "Die Coss" for short, that provides the name of our chapter, "The Cossic Art"?

Accepted Answer

Christoph Rudolff

Question 10

Which notation matches an equation set up by French philosopher Rene Descartes?

Accepted Answer

x^2+2x+1∝0

Question 11

Which two names are mostly credited with creating modern symbolic algebra?

Accepted Answer

Viete and Descartes

Question 12

True or false: Christoph Rudolff designed his square root sign after a long letter "r."

Accepted Answer

True

Question 13

Name the mathematician who would write x^2-3x=2x with the following notation:

Accepted Answer

Nicolas Chuquet

Question 14

Name the mathematician who used the following notation:

Accepted Answer

Christoph Rudolff

Question 15

Match Chuquet's notation to an algebraic equation.

Accepted Answer

x^2-4=\sqrt{x^2+1}+x

Question 16

Which of these math problems matches Pacioli's notation listed here?

Accepted Answer

\sqrt{x}=9x

Question 17

Which algebraic stage had symbols, but lacked some traits of modern algebra, such as only allowing subtraction once?

Accepted Answer

Syncopated

Question 18

What was the name of the author who wrote the book that established algebra?

Accepted Answer

Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī

Question 19

Which later mathematician was influenced directly by Rene Descartes in his early life?

Accepted Answer

Sir Isaac Newton

Question 20

How would you translate the following excerpt from "Coss"?

Accepted Answer

x^3+2x^2-15=0

Questions 20