Herald of Cybernetics

Professor HEINZ ZEMANEK (Austria), researcher of the life and works of Al-Khorezmi

 Each mathematician constantly gets in touch with the name and works of Al-Khorezmi.
Development of computer science of today is practical realization of problems the foundation for
whose decision he laid.

So when three years ago I was first given an opportunity to visit Khiva, I became interested in the
scientist’s life and works to a such degree that I stopped to occupy myself in all other historical
research and entirely concentrated on studying the works of originator of the famous school of
mathematics.

The Khorezm period of Al-Khorezmi life is of great interest to science. One can say that my
investigations were considerably rewarded: in Khiva I succeeded in finding many interesting data.
This success stimulated my further work and now for three years I have been fully occupied with
investigating a person who gave the world such words and notions as “algorithm” and “algebra”.

“Khorezmskaia Pravda” 181 (11,805) 19 Sep 1979 page 1