Ghiyath al-Din Abu al-Fath Omar ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyam was born in Nishapur in 1048 CE and studied mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy, until the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah summoned him to Isfahan to oversee a royal observatory.
In algebra, Khayyam produced a systematic classification of cubic equations along with geometric solutions using the intersection of conic sections, and, together with a team of astronomers, led the reform of the calendar, producing the 'Jalali calendar', which was later found to be more accurate than the Gregorian calendar.
Legacy
Khayyam also became known in the West as a poet through his philosophical quatrains, the 'Rubaiyat', translated into English in the nineteenth century and widely celebrated. Yet in his own scientific tradition, he stands as one of the most significant mathematicians and astronomers of the Seljuk era.
