Mathematical compendium

Content

Compendium containing treatises on astronomy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and shorter extracts and notes on related topics. The title page (f. 7r), which is written by a later hand than that of the main scribe, calls the volume 'a compendium of seven treatises accompanied by various studies (مجموعة سبع رسائل مع مبحثات متفرقة)', and lists only the following seven works:

صفيحة الإمكان في أصطرلاب

ما لا بد للفقيه من الحساب

كتاب الأكبر [!] لثاودوسي اوس [!]

كتاب الكرّة لأوتولوقوس

كتاب لثاودوسي اوس [!] في الليل والنهار

كتاب لثاودوسي اوس [!] في المساكن

فوائد الجمالي في أصول الهندسة

The scribe is Ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥīm Abū al-Qāsim Yaḥyá al-Astar’ābādī (ابن عبد الرحيم أبو القاسم يحيى الأسترآبادي; see ff. 12r, 24r and f. 62r), who copied the manuscript for his own use in Jumādá II 1014/Oct.-Nov. 1605 at Yazd (see f. 62r) and Dhū al-Qa‘dah 1018/Jan.-Feb. 1610 at Qom (see f. 24r)

Contents:

• (1) (Fā’idah) min Sharḥ shamsīyat al-ḥisāb ([فائدة] من شرح شمسية الحساب) (ff. 2v-3v);
• (2) Short extracts and notes in Persian and Arabic (ff. 4v-6a);
• (3) Bahā’ al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn al-‘Āmilī (بهاء الدين محمد بن حسين العاملي), Ṣafīḥat al-imkān fī aṣṭurlāb (صفيحة الإمكان في أصطرلاب; ff. 7v-12r);
• (4) Two short extracts on astronomy in Arabic and Persian (ff. 12v-13r);
• (5) Abū al-‘Alā’ Muḥammad al-Bihishtī al-Isfarā’aynī (أبو العلاء محمد البهشتي الإسفرايني), Mā lā budda lil-faqīh min al-ḥisāb (ما لا بد للفقيه من الحساب; ff. 14r-24v);
• (6) Anonymous, Treatise on geometry (ff. 25v-28r);
• (7) Anonymous, Treatise on ascertaining the levelness of surfaces (ff. 29v-30r);
• (8) Theodosius (ثاوذوسيوس), De sphaericis (كتاب الأكر; ff. 30r-62r)
• (9) Autolycus (أوطولوقس), De sphaera quae movetur (كتاب الكرة المتحركة; ff. 62r-69v);
• (10) Theodosius (ثاودوسيوس), De diebus et noctibus (كتاب ثاوذوسيوس في الليل والنهار; ff. 70r-75r);
• (11) Theodosius (ثاودوسيوس), De habitationibus (كتاب ثاوذوسيوس في المساكن; ff 76r-82r);
• (12) Two short texts on astronomy (ff. 83v-85r);
• (13) Short mathematical texts, notes and diagrams in Arabic and Persian (ff. 86v-117r);
• (14) Muḥammad ibn Ashraf al-Samarqandī (محمد بن أشرف السمرقندي), Fawā’id al-Jamālī fī uṣūl al-handasah (فوائد الجمالي في أصول الهندسة; ff. 117v-133v).

Extent and format

Codex A collection of pages, usually gathered into quires, and bound between covers. ; ff. iv+136+iv

It is grouped into

(Fā’idah) min Sharḥ Shamsīyat al-ḥisāb من شرح شمسية الحساب (فائدة) Abū Isḥāq ibn ‘Abd Allāh أبو إسحاق بن عبد الله

4 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 2v-3v

Short extracts and notes in Persian and Arabic

8 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 4v-6r

Ṣafīḥat al-imkān fī aṣṭurlāb صفيحة الإمكان في أصطرلاب عاملي، بهاء الدين محمد بن حسين ‘Āmilī, Bahā’ al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn

10 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 7v-12r

Two short extracts on astronomy in Arabic and Persian

3 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 12v-13r

Mā lā budda lil-faqīh min al-ḥisāb ما لا بد للفقيه من الحساب Isfarā’aynī, Abū al-‘Alā’ Muḥammad al-Bihishtī إسفرايني، أبو العلاء محمد البهشتي

23 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 14r-24v

Anonymous treatise on geometry

8 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 25v-28r

Treatise on ascertaining the levelness of surfaces

2 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 29v-30r

Kitāb al-ukar كتاب الأكر Theodosius ثاوذوسيوس

65 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 30r-62r

Kitāb al-kurrah al-mutaḥarrika كتاب الكرة المتحركة Autolycus أوطولوقس

16 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 62r-69v

Kitāb Thāwudhūsīyus fī al-layl wa-al-nahār كتاب ثاوذوسيوس في الليل والنهار Theodosius ثاودوسيوس

12 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 70r-75r

Kitāb Thāwudhūsīyus fī al-masākin كتاب ثاوذوسيوس في المساكن Theodosius ثاودوسيوس

15 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 76r-82r

Two short texts on astronomy

6 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 83v-85r

Short mathematical texts, notes and diagrams in Arabic and Persian

70 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 86v-117r

Fawā’id al-Jamālī fī uṣūl al-handasah فوائد الجمالي في أصول الهندسة Samarqandī, Muḥammad ibn Ashraf سمرقندي، محمد بن أشرف

39 images

Ref: Add MS 23570, ff 117v-133v

Physical characteristics

Material: Paper

Dimensions: 169 x 69 mm leaf [117 x 50 mm written]

Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil

Ruling: Misṭarah ; 19 lines per page; vertical spacing 16 lines per 10 cm

Script: Nasta‘līq ; copied by Ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥīm Abū al-Qāsim Yaḥyā al-Astarābādī for his own use

Ink: Black ink, with rubricated headings and overlinings and diagrams in red

Binding: Morocco leather binding; boards with blind-tooled borders, medallion and pendants

Condition: Minor water damage to upper margin

Marginalia: Numerous throughout

Seals: Ff. 2r (erased), 7r, 14r, 30r, 62r, 70r, 76r and 117v

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

Type

Manuscript

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: Oriental Manuscripts

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Add MS 23570

History of this record

Date(s)

1014-1018 (AH, Hijri qamari)

Context of creation

Qom and Yazd

Immediate source of acquisition

Purchased from Mrs Taylor, April 1860

Subjects

Mathematics -- Early works to 1800

People & organisations

Ibn 'Abd al-Raḥīm Abū al-Qāsim Yaḥyá Astarābādī

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Mathematical compendium, British Library: Oriental Manuscripts, Add MS 23570, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100022582060.0x000001> [accessed 31 March 2025]

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