Chronology

500 - 900

500

• Metrodorus assembles the Greek Anthology consisting of 46 mathematical problems.

510

• Eutocius of Ascalon writes commentaries on Archimedes' work.
• Boethius writes geometry and arithmetic texts which are widely used for a long time.

530

• Eutocius writes commentaries on the works of Archimedes and Apollonius.

532

• Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician of note, is the architect for the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople. (See this THIS LINK.)

534

• Chinese mathematics is introduced into Japan.

575

• Varahamihira produces Pancasiddhantika (The Five Astronomical Canons). He makes important contributions to trigonometry.

594

• Decimal notation is used for numbers in India. This is the system on which our current notation is based. (See this History Topic.)

628

• Brahmagupta writes Brahmasphutasiddanta (The Opening of the Universe), a work on astronomy; on mathematics. He uses zero and negative numbers, gives methods to solve quadratic equations, sum series, and compute square roots.

644

• Li Chunfeng starts to assemble the Chinese Ten Mathematical Classics. (See this History Topic.)

700

• Mathematicians in the Mayan civilization introduce a symbol for zero into their number system. (See this History Topic.)

775

• Alcuin of York writes elementary texts on arithmetic, geometry and astronomy.

810

• House of Wisdom set up in Baghdad. There Greek and Indian mathematical and astronomy works are translated into Arabic.
• Al-Khwarizmi writes important works on arithmetic, algebra, geography, and astronomy. In particular Hisab al-jabr w'al-muqabala (Calculation by Completion and Balancing), gives us the word "algebra", from "al-jabr". From al-Khwarizmi's name, as a consequence of his arithmetic book, comes the word "algorithm".

850

• Thabit ibn Qurra makes important mathematical discoveries such as the extension of the concept of number to (positive) real numbers, integral calculus, theorems in spherical trigonometry, analytic geometry, and non-euclidean geometry.
• Thabit ibn Qurra writes Book on the determination of amicable numbers which contains general methods to construct amicable numbers. He knows the pair of amicable numbers 17296, 18416.
• Mahavira writes Ganita Sara Samgraha. It consists of nine chapters and includes all mathematical knowledge of mid-ninth century India.