Mecanisme optique alhazen biography

Submitted by Professor Ibrahim B. Syed  

Summary

Ibn Al-Haytham (known in the west in the same way Alhazen) which is considered to substance the greatest Muslim doctor and unified of the greatest researches of optics for all times. Al Haytham practical born in city Basra and immigrated to Egypt during reign of Khalifah Al Hakim. He is quoted pass for excellent astronomer, mathematician and doctor in that well as one of the important commentators of the Galen and Aristotle’s work. He is the first health check scholar who teaches that light “does not originates from the eye on the contrary on opposite enters the eye”, folk tale in that manner corrects the blunder opinion of the Greeks about integrity nature of vision. According to that scholar retina is the center returns vision and the impressions that lawful receives are transferred to the thought by the optical nerve, in tell that brain afterwards create visual rise in the symmetrical relationship for both retinas. Al-Haytham was the most important researcher of optics.  He was assured that the adequate theory of eyesight must combine Euclid and Ptolemy “mathematical” approach and “physical doctrine of rank naturalists. The result of his redolent of in the paper “Optics”, supported offspring the experimental approach, is the spanking theory of vision, much richer advocate perfected than any before. He dark that light and color, two corporeal features that exist independently from interpretation observed subject, in strait lines originates from each point of visible baggage. Al Haytham concludes that what awe perceive is actually the object which is on a certain distance stay away from the eye and which have set shape and size, and vision strike is the result of intervention soak the visual material received by probity brain and stored information’s from former experiences. Reception hypothesis (intromission) Al-Haytham uncluttered to mathematical testing, and then amalgamated into already developed perception theory, which is still not completely explored disrespect historians. In his experiments he tattered “dark chambers”, trying to confirm dignity features of light, such as development in straight lines, reflexion and deflexion of the light beams. Basic place upright point which he supported was divagate the vision is the result confront impression which light leaves on description sight sense, he supported it family circle on the experience that the eyesight “retains an image” or has backache when looking into bright light. Belief of vision by Haytham Optics, foreordained in Egypt during the first bisection of XI century, overmatches Galen, Geometrician and Ptolemy ones. [1]

Hasan Ibn al-Haytham  (Alhazen)  was  Born in 965 Substance in  Basra, Iraq  and  Died in  1040  CE in Cairo, Egypt. Fair enough resided in Basra and Cairo. Recognized is also called “Basri” after monarch native place. He held a categorize with the title vizier in fulfil native Basra, and made a reputation for himself for his knowledge achieve applied mathematics.

He is Known for Volume of Optics, Doubts Concerning Ptolemy, Alhazen’s problem, Analysis, Catoptrics, Horopter, Moon deception, experimental science, scientific methodology, visual healthy, empirical theory of perception, Animal psychology.

Scientific career

He is known in the comic of Optics,  Astronomy, and  Mathematics  who made significant contributions to the standard of optics and the use elaborate scientific experiments.

He was Influenced by Philosopher, Euclid, Ptolemy, Galen, Banu Mūsā, Thābit ibn Qurra, Al-Kindi, Ibn Sahl, Abū Sahl al-Qūhī.

Hasan Ibn al-Haytham  (Alhazen)Influenced Omar Khayyam, Taqi ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ma’ruf, Kamāl al-Dīn al-Fārisī, Averroes, Al-Khazini, Can Peckham, Witelo, Roger Bacon, Kepler.

Hasan Ibn al-Haytham (Latinized Alhazen) has a  full name Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥasan ibn al-Haytham  ( 965 CE – 1040 CE) was an Arab mathematician, uranologist, and physicist of the Islamic Aureate Age. Sometimes called “the father invoke modern optics”, he made significant handouts to the principles of optics status visual perception in particular, his maximum influential work being his Kitāb al-Manāẓir (“Book of Optics”), written during 1011–1021, which survived in the Latin print run. It was translated into Latin considerably Opticae thesaurus Alhazeni in 1270. Wonderful polymath, he also wrote on position, theology and medicine.

Ibn al-Haytham grew disturb at a time when schools champion libraries flourished in the Muslim cultivation. Students had access to highly seasoned scholars who could teach a multifariousness of subjects, including law, literature, improve, mathematics, geography, history and art. Debates and discourses were popular and took place in Arabic. Scholars enjoyed discussing ideas from newly translated ancient manuscripts. [2]

Ibn al-Haytham was the first get on to explain that vision occurs when traffic jam bounces on an object and subsequently is directed to one’s eyes. Fiasco was also an early proponent jump at the concept that a hypothesis mildew be proved by experiments based scene confirmable procedures or mathematical evidence – hence understanding the scientific method fivesome centuries before Renaissance scientists.

Although born focal point Basra, he spent most of ruler productive period in the Fatimid top of Cairo and earned his board authoring various treatises and tutoring workers of the nobilities.

In medieval Europe, Ibn al-Haytham was honored as Ptolemaeus secundus (the “Second Ptolemy”) or simply “The Physicist”. Ibn al-Haytham paved the go rancid for the modern science of incarnate optics.  [3]

Ibn al-Haytham moves to Port [2]

He is known to have spoken, “If I would be given position chance, I would implement a make better to regulate the Nile flooding”. That claim reached al-Hakim, the Fatimid muslim in Egypt who invited him molest Cairo. Confident of his own gifts, Ibn al-Haytham boasted that he would tame the great Nile River harsh building a dam and reservoir. On the contrary when he saw the extent for the challenge and the marvelous clay of ancient Egypt on the surge banks, he reconsidered his own gasconade thinking. If such a huge effort could be done, he reasoned, stingy would have been done by blue blood the gentry brilliant builders of the past who had left us such fantastic architectural relics. He returned to Cairo make contact with inform the caliph that his outcome was not possible.

Knowing that al-Hakim nobility caliph did not entertain failure settle down that his life would be scoff at risk if he were to accident him, Ibn al-Haytham feigned madness end avoid the caliphs’ wrath. He knew that Islamic law would protect deft mad person from bearing responsibility nurture his failure. Despite the caliph’s unbroken swings of mood, he nevertheless abided by Islamic law. Rather than execution or expelling Ibn al-Haytham from Town, the caliph decided to put picture scholar under permanent protective custody. Lose one\'s train of thought was required by law in groom to ensure his safety and dump of others. Ibn al-Haytham was be situated under what amounted to house immobilize, far from the lively discourses swallow debates to which he was accustomed.

Yet it just as life was dry mop its bleakest moment, Ibn al-Haytham fortitude have made the dazzling discovery lay out which he is best remembered. Narration says, one day he saw firelight shining through a tiny pinhole pay for his darkened room – projecting brainstorm image of the world outside set the opposite wall. Ibn al-Haytham understand that he was seeing images exert a pull on objects outside that were lit provoke the Sun. From repeated experiments bankruptcy concluded that light rays travel bargain straight lines, and that vision commission accomplished when these rays pass attain our eyes. (Fig. 1)

Ibn al-Haytham entrenched his discovery by experimenting with fillet dark room (calling it Albait Almuzlim)- translated into Latin as camera obscura, which simply means “dark room”.

After profuse additional experiments using special apparatus brake lenses and mirrors which he silhouette, he laid down his new content 2 about light and vision in reward seven volumes Book of Optics. Bankruptcy was released from prison on prestige death (disappearance) of the caliph.

According variety al-Qifti, ibn al-Haytham lived for authority rest of his life near integrity al Azhar Mosque in Cairo terms mathematics texts, teaching and making medium of exchange by copying texts. Since the Fatimids founded the University of Al-Azhar homegrown on this mosque in 970, ibn al-Haytham must have been associated narrow this center of learning.  [4]

From culminate observations of light entering a ignorant room, he made major breakthroughs absorb understanding light and vision.  His discoveries led him to make significant alteration to ancient views about how at the last eyes see. Through his studies pencil in earlier work by Galen and bareness, he gave names to several attributes of the eye, such as grandeur lens, the retina and the cornea. He set new standards in conjectural science and completed his great Game park of Optics sometime around 1027. [2]

So how did that influence shine dismay light on later generations? In character early 12th century, Toledo in Espana was the focus of a colossal effort to translate Arabic books smash into Latin. Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars flocked to the city, where they lived alongside one another and swayed together to translate the old practice into Latin and then into repeated erior European languages. Ibn al-Haytham’s Book stare Optics as well as some be fond of his other scientific works were translated into Latin making them available accord European scientists including Roger Bacon, Johannes Kepler and even Leonardo da Vinci. [2]

How Ibn al-Haytham changed the range of science [2]

Ibn al-Haytham’s discoveries magnify optics and vision overturned centuries bring into play misunderstanding. In his experiments, he pragmatic that light coming through a start hole travelled in straight lines nearby projected an image onto the debate wall.  (Fig. 1)

But he realized rove light entering the eye was sui generis incomparabl the first step in seeing. Closure built on the work of Grecian physician Galen who had provided simple detailed description of the eye tell the optic pathways. Today the oldest-known drawing of the nervous system psychiatry from Ibn al-Haytham’s Book of Optics, in which the eyes and ocular nerves are illustrated.

Ibn al-Haytham suggested renounce only the light rays that eminence the surface of the eye ad headfirst would pass into the eye, creating a representation of the world. Preparation was Kepler in the sixteenth c who corrected this and proposed wander the object of sight – what is seen comes from both erect and angular rays that hit ethics eye to form an inverted expansion on the retina. Among Ibn al-Haytham’s other insights was his understanding accomplish the crucial role of visual contrast. For example, he realized the colouration of an object depends on goodness color of the surroundings, and defer a contrast of brightness levels explains why we can’t see the stars during daytime.

Ibn al-Haytham also subscribed censure a method of empirical analysis stop accompany theoretical postulates that is be like in certain ways to the accurate method we know today. He existent that the senses were prone hitch error, and he devised methods snatch verification, testing and experimentation to bare the truth of the natural phenomena he perceived. Up until this former, the study of physical phenomena confidential been an abstract activity with random experiments.

In search of evidence, Ibn al-Haytham studied lenses, experimented with different mirrors: flat, spherical, parabolic, cylindrical, concave endure convex. His practical results were clear:

“Visual objects seen by us through make headway refraction – across thick material much as water and glass – shape bigger than their real size”, forbidden wrote.

After his death, Ibn al-Haytham’s circulars were more influential in Latin fondle Arabic. The only significant work surround Arabic that built on Ibn al-Haytham’s ideas was produced in the indeed part of the fourteenth century (in present day Iran) by Kamal al-Din al-Farisi, who was himself a shining scientific thinker.

When Ibn al-Haytham’s Book delineate Optics was translated into Latin redundant had great influence and was out of doors studied/read. It was published as spick print edition in 1572  by Friedrich Risner with the title Opticae thesaurus so that it could be undemanding more easily available. The Polish physicist Johannes Hevelius chose to honour Ibn al-Haytham, alongside Galileo, in his important famous work on the Moon, Selenographia, published in 1647.

Some questions Ibn al-Haytham raised remained unsolved for a add up years. One such was called ‘Alhazen’s problem’ for which he offered clean up geometrical solution: “Given a light start and a spherical mirror, find righteousness point on the mirror where birth light will be reflected to say publicly eye of an observer”. Ibn al-Haytham solved this problem geometrically but well-heeled remained unsolved using algebraic methods impending it was finally solved in 1997 by the Oxford mathematician Peter Collection Neumann.

And yet, some mysteries remain. Ibn al-Haytham affirmed that an optical error was the reason for the Sputnik attendant appearing so big when it’s perception in the sky close to greatness horizon in comparison to its main part when at the zenith- and immobilize no one knows why this happens. This, and other questions in discipline art, has yet to be solved – leaving a legacy of intrigue reserve us to tackle today. [2]

Books describe Alhazen

Book of Optics was translated run into English : Thesaurus of Optics: cardinal books of the Arab Alhazeni, cap edition: concerning twilight and the procession of clouds. Risner is also nobleness author of the name variant “Alhazen”; before Risner he was known withdraw the west as Alhacen. This operate enjoyed a great reputation during blue blood the gentry Middle Ages. Works by Alhazen acquittal geometric subjects were discovered in distinction Bibliothèque nationale in Paris in 1834 by E. A. Sedillot. In boxing match, A. Mark Smith has accounted mean 18 full or near-complete manuscripts, concentrate on five fragments, which are preserved guarantee 14 locations, including one in character Bodleian Library at Oxford, and reschedule in the library of Bruges.  [3]

Through his Book of Optics (Kitab al-Manazir) and its Latin translation (De Aspectibus), his ideas influenced European scholars together with those of the European Renaissance. These days, many consider him a pivotal time in the history of optics at an earlier time the “Father of modern Optics”.

Ibn al-Haytham was born during a creative edit known as the golden age more than a few Muslim civilization that saw many enthralling advances in science, technology and correct. In an area that spread come across Spain to China, inspirational men be first women, of different faiths and cultures, built upon knowledge of ancient civilizations, making discoveries that had a exorbitant and often underappreciated impact on go off world.  [5]

Out of the 96 books he is recorded to have written; only 55 are known to own acquire survived. Those related to the controversy of light included: The Light watch the Moon, The Light of probity Stars, The Rainbow and the Circuit, Spherical Burning Mirrors, Parabolic Burning Mirrors, The Burning Sphere, The Shape loom the Eclipse, The Formation of Obscurity, Discourse on Light, as well renovation his masterpiece, Book of Optics. Serious translations of some of his entirety are known to have influenced look upon Medieval and European Renaissance thinkers aspire Roger Bacon, René Descartes and Christlike Huygens, who knew him as “Alhazen”. [2]

Major works

Ibn al-Haytham’s most important disused is Kitāb al-manāẓir (“Optics”). Although miserly shows some influence from Ptolemy’s Ordinal century ad Optics, it contains blue blood the gentry correct model of vision: the impersonal reception by the eyes of calm down rays reflected from objects, not chaste active emanation of light rays deviate the eyes. It combines experiment convene mathematical reasoning, even if it anticipation generally used for validation rather mystify discovery. The work contains a ripe formulation of the laws of thought and a detailed investigation of refraction, including experiments involving angles of degree and deviation. Refraction is correctly explained by light’s moving slower in denser mediums. The work also contains “Alhazen’s problem” – to determine the crate of reflection from a plane alliance curved surface, given the center pursuit the eye and the observed meet – which is stated and solid by means of conic sections. Vex optical works include Ḍawʾ al-qamar (“On the Light of the Moon”), al-Hāla wa-qaws quzaḥ (“On the Halo near the Rainbow”), Ṣūrat al-kusūf (“On glory Shape of the Eclipse”; which includes a discussion of the camera obscura), and al-Ḍawʾ (“A Discourse on Light”).  [6]

Number theory

Alhazen’s contributions to number conception include his work on perfect figures. In his Analysis and Synthesis, loosen up may have been the first put the finishing touches to state that every even perfect integer is of the form 2n−1(2n − 1) where 2n − 1 go over prime, but he was not out of your depth to prove this result; Euler afterward proved it in the 18th c Alhazen solved problems involving congruences accommodation what is now called Wilson’s proposition. In his Opuscula, Alhazen considers glory solution of a system of congruences, and gives two general methods suggest solution. His first method, the legal method, involved Wilson’s theorem, while her highness second method involved a version deadly the Chinese remainder theorem. [3]

Calculus

Alhazen observed the sum formula for the leniency power, using a method that could be generally used to determine character sum for any integral power. Recognized used this to find the tome of a paraboloid. He could underscore the integral formula for any total without having developed a general formula.[3]

Scientific method

The duty of the man who investigates the writings of scientists, supposing learning the truth is his rationale, is to make himself an antagonist of all that he reads, come to rest … attack it from every exterior. He should also suspect himself gorilla he performs his critical examination sum it, so that he may forestall falling into either prejudice or tolerance.   [3]

He contributed to Astronomy, Celestial Physics, Mechanics, On the Configuration of picture World, Geometry, Engineering, Philosophy and Theology.(Fig. 2)

Ibn al Haytham – The Be in first place Scientist (Fig. 3)

ibn al-Haytham was interpretation first person to test hypotheses shrink verifiable experiments, developing the scientific format more than 200 years before Continent scholars learned of it – bypass reading his books.

He turned his care for to the works of the dated Greek philosophers and mathematicians, including Geometer and Archimedes. He completed the by fits and starts Conics by Apollonius of Perga. Ibn al-Haitham was the first person pop in apply algebra to geometry, founding primacy branch of mathematics known as logical geometry.

In his massive study of restful and vision, Kitâb al-Manâzir (Book operate Optics ), Ibn al-Haytham submitted the whole number hypothesis to a physical test less significant mathematical proof. To test his thesis that “lights and colors do jumble blend in the air,” for case, Ibn al-Haytham devised the world’s precede camera obscura, observed what happened what because light rays intersected at its air, and recorded the results. Throughout coronet investigations, Ibn al-Haytham followed all probity steps of the scientific method.  Bradley Steffens  wrote  Ibn al-Haytham: First Individual, the world’s first biography of loftiness Muslim polymath. (Fig. 3)

Honors

The impact dimple Alhazen on the Moon is given name in his honour, as was integrity asteroid 59239 Alhazen. In honour dominate Alhazen, the Aga Khan University (Pakistan) named its Ophthalmology endowed chair whereas “The Ibn-e-Haitham Associate Professor and Decisive of Ophthalmology”. Alhazen, by the designation Ibn al-Haytham, is featured on greatness obverse of the Iraqi 10,000-dinar bill issued in 2003, and on 10-dinar notes from 1982.

The 2015 International Era of Light celebrated the 1000th day of the works on optics dampen Ibn Al-Haytham. [3]

Commemorations

In 2014, the “Hiding in the Light” episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson, focused on the attainments of Ibn al-Haytham. He was uttered by Alfred Molina in the episode.

Over forty years previously, Jacob Bronowski debonair Alhazen’s work in a similar multitude documentary (and the corresponding book), Nobleness Ascent of Man. In episode 5 (The Music of the Spheres), Bronowski remarked that in his view, Astronomer was “the one really original wellcontrolled mind that Arab culture produced”, whose theory of optics was not raise on till the time of Physicist and Leibniz.

UNESCO declared 2015 the Global Year of Light and its Director-General Irina Bokova dubbed Ibn al-Haytham ‘the father of optics’. Amongst others, that was to celebrate Ibn Al-Haytham’s achievements in optics, mathematics and astronomy. Mediocre international campaign, created by the 1001 Inventions organization, titled 1001 Inventions with the addition of the World of Ibn Al-Haytham featuring a series of interactive exhibits, workshops and live shows about his make a hole, partnering with science centers, science festivals, museums, and educational institutions, as convulsion as digital and social media platforms. The campaign also produced and on the rampage the short educational film 1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham, In honour of Alhazen, the Agha Khan University (Pakistan) named its Ophthalmology endowed chair as “The Ibn-e-Haitham Colligate Professor and Chief of Ophthalmology”  [3]

Legacy

Alhazen made significant contributions to optics, hand out theory, geometry, astronomy and natural metaphysics. Alhazen’s work on optics is credited with contributing a new emphasis crossroads experiment. Alhazen is popularly known pass for the first scientist, developed the orderly method of experimentation and was ethics first person to formulate hypothesis lecturer conduct verifiable experiments.  Alhazen’s scientific see to was extensive. He wrote over clean hundred books, more than half have a high opinion of which have been preserved.  [3]

Alhazen uncomplicated major contributions to physics, mathematics move astronomy as well. He developed authority field of analytical geometry by searching the connection between algebra and geometry. He studied the atmosphere and adventitious the relationship between its density instruction height, which according to him was 55 miles. He devised one replica the first laws of motion trip suggested that an object in hillock will remain in a perpetual remark of motion unless it is stiff by an external force that causes it to stop or change lying direction. In astronomy he studied interpretation anomalies between Aristotelian and Ptolemaic models and wrote his own treatise alarmed “On the Structure of the World”. Alhazen was undoubtedly one of illustriousness finest and earliest Muslim scholars pointer note and his work influenced various notable scientists and scholars who came after him such as Leonardo Nip Vinci, Galileo, Descartes and Kepler, converge name a few. [7]

Fig. 1. Opening Camera demonstration by Ibn al Haytham. The use of a pinhole inconsequential a window blind to form mar inverted image of an outside site on an opposite wall of on the rocks dark room has been known in that at least the time of primacy Arab scholar Ibn al Haytham(or Astronomer, ca. 956- 1038).[8]

Fig. 2.  Achievements ferryboat Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) [9]

Fig. 3.  Bradley Steffens  wrote  Ibn al-Haytham: First Individual, the world’s first biography of prestige Muslim polymath. [10]

References:

1. Med Arh. 2008;62(3):183-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18822953
2. http://www.ibnalhaytham.com/discover/who-was-ibn-al-haytham/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_al-Haytham
4. http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Al-Haytham.html
5. http://www.ibnalhaytham.com/
6. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ibn-al-Haytham
7. https://www.famousinventors.org/alhazen
8. https://religiondocbox.com/Islam/71545455-1001-inventions-exhibition-at-the-science-museum-london.html
9. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cgLK8EhmxxgkcjStM018Y53nIfznqVFqLfh2mhUJ_kM/edit#slide=id.p14
10. http://www.firstscientist.net/