'Ali ibn Ridwan

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Abu'l Hasan Ali ibn Ridwan Al-Misri (c. 998–c. 1061) was an Egyptian physician, astrologer and astronomer, born in Jiza.

He was a commentator on Greek medicine, and in particular on Galen; his commentary on Galen's Ars Parva was translated by Gerardo Cremonese. He is also known for his supernova observation from 1006 ([1], see SN 1006). This was written in a commentary on Ptolemy's work Tetrabiblos.

He was later cited by European authors as Haly, or Haly Abenrudian. According to A. C. Crombie (Augustine to Galileo 2, p. 25) he also contributed to the theory of induction. He engaged in a celebrated polemic against another physician, ibn Butlan of Baghdad.

[edit] Works

commentaries on Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos and pseudo-Ptolemy's Centiloquy
De revolutionibus nativitatum (The Revolutions of Nativities), edited by Luca Gaurico, printed in Venice (1524)
Tractatus de cometarum significationibus per xii signa zodiaci (Treatise on the Significations of Comets in the twelve Signs of the Zodiac), printed in Nürnberg (1563)