Since he nineteenth century English poet Edward Fitzgerald, produced a small booklet of translation of the Ruba'iayyat of Umar Kháyyam, it almost immediately elevated Kháyyam's name on a par with the giants of Classical Persian poetry. By our time Khayyam's name enjoy wide spread recognition as a brilliant poet who produced The Quatrains . On a secondary level, however, he is mentioned as a leading mathematician and a philosopher of his time. This phenomenon is not typical of pre-modern mathematicians or poets, as the two tracks appear unrelated in frst sight.
In this talk, I will present a historical investigation into the circumstances of Khayyam's life and career, based on the extant evidence, to put the two seemingly divergent persona in context, and seek answers to questions regarding his mathematical and literary legacy.