Page:The Algebra of Mohammed Ben Musa (1831).djvu/202

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writer, Lucas Paciolus, or Lucas de Burgo, are thus reported by Cossali: Il commune oggetto dell’ operar loro è recare la equazione alla sua maggior unità. Gli uffizj loro per questo commune intento sono contrarj: quello dell’ Algebra è di restorare li extremi dei diminuti; e quello di Almucabala di levare da li extremi i superflui. Intende Fra Luca per extremi i membri dell’ equazione.

Since the commencement of the sixteenth century, the word mokābalah does no longer appear in the title of Algebraic works. Hieronymus Cardan’s Latin treatise, first published in 1545, is inscribed: Artis magnæ sive de regulis algebraicis liber unus. A work by John Scheubelius, printed at Paris in 1552, is entitled: Algebræ compendiosa facilisque descriptio, qua depromuntur magna Arithmetices miracula. (See Hutton’s Tracts, &c. 11. pp. 241-243.) Pelletier’s Algebra appeared at Paris in 1558, under the title: De occulta parte numerorum quam Algebram vocant, libri duo. (Hutton, l. c. p. 245. Montucla, hist. des math. I. p. 613.) A Portuguese treatise, by Pedro Nuñez or Nonius, printed at Amberez in 1567, is entitled: Libro de Algebra y Arithmetica y Geomètria. (Montucla, I. c. p. 615.)

In Feizi’s Persian translation of the Lilavati (written in 1587, printed for the first time at Calcutta in 1827, 8vo.) I do not recollect ever to have met with the word جبر; but مقابله is several times used in the same sense as in the above Persian extract.