Terry Moore: Why is 'x' the unknown?

The video explores why the letter X represents the unknown, tracing its origins from Arabic to European languages. It highlights the logical nature of Arabic, which influenced Western science and mathematics, including algebra. The translation of Arabic texts into European languages faced challenges due to phonetic differences, particularly with the letter 'sheen' and the word 'shayun'. To overcome this, translators used the Greek letter 'Kai', which later became 'X' in Latin, forming the basis for mathematics textbooks for centuries.

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