Meftah Al-Hesab: a summary (Q1407406)

This paper presents a discussion of Kashani's best achievement \textit{Meftah al-hesab}. This later consists of a preface, an introduction and five books. In fact, the author exhibits ideas and topics from each book that are mathematically significant and easy to communicate in modern notations. It is noted that in book I, II and III, Kashani handled the following items: the definitions and rules of multiplication and division operations, the extraction of the \(n\)th roots giving formulas for the approximation of their values, fractions and their arithmetic, the great common divisor (GCD) of two (positive) numbers and the least common denominator (LCD) for a sum of fractions providing methods for finding them, and the writing of numbers and fractions as well as the extraction of the \(n\)th roots in sexagesimal system (base 60). In this context, this note states that the way of treatment of these subjects by Kashani are similar to the modern one. On the other hand, according to the author, book IV is concerned with the measurement of dimensions, areas and volumes of geometric solids. Many measures and calculations figures to illustrate this fact. As to the book V, it is reported that it dealt with polynomials and rules of their operations, discussed the solutions of some algebraic equations and presented formulas for sums of a bunch of sequences.