Algorithm’s name traces to a 9th-century mathematician in Central Asia

The word “algorithm,” now central to debates over artificial intelligence and social media, began as a reference to a 9th-century scholar from Central Asia, NPR reported. The term’s history links modern computing to Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, a Persian mathematician whose work helped spread algebraic methods and Hindu-Arabic numerals.

NPR’s Scott Neuman reported the word has gained a darker public meaning as algorithms shape what people watch, read and hear online. Pope Leo XIV used the word 19 times in his first encyclical last month while addressing risks tied to artificial intelligence, according to NPR.

A name that became a math term

Rob Watts, a journalist who hosts the language-focused YouTube channel RobWords, told NPR that “algorithm” comes from a Latin rendering of al-Khwarizmi’s name. Watts said the path from the scholar’s name to the modern English word ran through Latin, French and English forms, including “algorismus,” “algorisme” and “algorism.”

Watts told NPR the term also became mixed with “arithmetic” before taking its current spelling and meaning. The result is a word that sounds as if it were coined for mathematics, while carrying the name of a specific historical figure.

Al-Khwarizmi came from an area south of the Aral Sea in what is now Uzbekistan, NPR reported, and part of his name refers to Khwarazm, the historical name of that region. NPR identified him as a mathematician, astronomer and geographer.

Algebra, zero and translated books

According to NPR, al-Khwarizmi’s major mathematical influence came through a book whose title is often rendered as “The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing.” NPR reported that the work helped establish systematic methods for solving mathematical problems, spread Hindu-Arabic numerals in the West and contributed to the development of algebra.

Judy Grabiner, a historian of science and professor emeritus at Pitzer College, told NPR that al-Khwarizmi’s book was translated into Latin more than once in the 12th century. Grabiner said that period in Europe saw renewed interest in earlier learning.

NPR reported that other English words and star names with Arabic roots entered the language during a wider period of Islamic scientific and mathematical activity that began in the 8th century. Examples cited by NPR include alcohol, alkali and alchemy, along with star names such as Altair, Alkaid, Alcor and Aldebaran.

From calculation to computing

Bill Westrick, an Indiana-based software engineer, told NPR that an algorithm is a defined sequence of steps used to complete a task. He compared it to following a cake recipe, where the instructions must be carried out in a set order to get the intended result.

Susan McRoy, chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Milwaukee, told NPR that algorithms were useful long before electronic computers, including in business, surveying and navigation. She said algorithms have helped people control complex technology.

NPR reported that celestial navigation, which developed strongly in the late 1700s, depended on calculations using sextant readings to determine position at sea. NPR also cited Edsger Dijkstra’s 1950s shortest-path algorithm as a foundation for computer mapping, and reported that satellite-based GPS relies on complex algorithms.

Grabiner told NPR that applied mathematics, sea power and linguistics all intersect in the history of algorithms. NPR reported that while present-day concerns often center on social media and AI, the underlying idea has helped people solve practical problems for centuries.

This story draws on original reporting from NPR.