ALGARVA, a province in the kingdom of Portugal, 67 miles in length, and 20 in breadth; bounded on the W. and S. by the sea, on the E. by the river Guadiana, and on the N. by Alentejo. It is very fertile in figs, almonds, dates, olives, and excellent wines; besides, the fishery brings in large sums. The capital town is Pharo. It contains four cities, 12 towns, 67 parishes, and 61,000 inhabitants.
A GENERAL method of computation, wherein signs and symbols, commonly the letters of the alphabet, are made use of to represent numbers, or any other quantities.
This science, properly speaking, is no other than a kind of short-hand, or ready way of writing down a chain of mathematical reasoning on any subject whatever; so that it is applicable to arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, mensuration of all kinds of solids, &c. and the great advantages derived from it appear manifestly to arise from the conciseness and perspicuity with which every proposition on mathematical subjects can be wrote down in algebraic characters, greatly superior to the
tedious circumlocutions which would be necessary were the reasoning to be written in words at length.
With regard to the etymology of the word algebra, it is much contested by the critics. Menage derives it from the Arabic aljabharat, which signifies the restitution of any thing broken; supposing that the principal part of algebra is the consideration of broken numbers. Others rather borrow it from the Spanish, algebrista, a person who replaces dislocated bones; adding, that algebra has nothing to do with fraction. Some, with M. d'Herbelot, are of opinion, that algebra takes its name from Gebar, a celebrated philosopher, chemist, and mathematician, whom the Arabs call