Alhazen

Mathematician, Physician

0965 – 1040

67

Who was Alhazen?

Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥasan ibn al-Haytham, frequently referred to as Ibn al-Haytham, was an Arab scientist, polymath, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher who made significant contributions to the principles of optics, astronomy, mathematics, meteorology, visual perception and the scientific method.

He has been described as the father of modern optics, ophthalmology, experimental physics and scientific methodology and the first theoretical physicist In medieval Europe, he was nicknamed Ptolemaeus Secundus or simply called "The Physicist". He is also sometimes called al-Basri after Basra, his birthplace.

According to one version of his biography, al-Haytham, confident about the practical application of his mathematical knowledge, assumed he could regulate the floods of the Nile. Having been ordered to do so by Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the sixth ruler of the Fatimid caliphate, he quickly realised its impossibility. Fearing for his life, he feigned madness and was placed under house arrest. Once Al-Hakim had died, he was able to prove that he was not mad and for the rest of his life made money copying texts while writing mathematical works and teaching.

We need you!

Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!

Born
Jul 1, 0965
Basra
Also known as
  • Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥasan ibn al-Haytham
  • al-Basri
  • Ibn al-Haytham
  • Ptolemaeus Secundus
  • The Physicist
  • Alhacen
Religion
  • Islam
Ethnicity
  • Arabs
  • Persian people
Nationality
  • Abbasid Caliphate
Profession
Lived in
  • Basra
  • Cairo
Died
Mar 6, 1040
Cairo

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Alhazen." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/ibn_al-haitham>.

Discuss this Alhazen biography with the community:

0 Comments

    Browse Biographies.net