QATAR: All Episodes of Al-Khwarizmi: Father of Algebra & the Algorithm Are Now Available for Free on YouTube

All 30 episodes of Al-Khwarizmi: Father of Algebra & the Algorithm, as well as the complete 45-minute cinematic edition, are now streaming free on YouTube. Image courtesy of Spencer Striker Digital Learning.

The 45-minute cinematic version of the series was created for use in classrooms, where professors and teachers can use it in lessons about math, social studies, or world history. Image courtesy of Spencer Striker Digital Learning.

The series of 30 90-second episodes is now complete on YouTube. Image courtesy of Spencer Striker Digital Learning.

The AI-animated docudrama tells the story of a ninth-century scholar whose work had a monumental impact on modern mathematics and computer science.

We are using generative AI to tell the story of the man who made this technology possible. Every phone, search engine, and frontier AI model runs on a concept he invented 12 centuries ago in Baghdad.”

— Spencer Striker, PhD

DOHA, QATAR, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DOHA, Qatar – September 2, 2026 – Starting today, Spencer Striker Digital Learning has made all 30 episodes of Al-Khwarizmi: Father of Algebra & the Algorithm available for free on

YouTube, alongside a complete 45-minute cinematic edition. The AI-animated docudrama tells the story of a young scholar in ninth-century Baghdad whose work laid the foundation for algebra and the algorithm. Viewers can experience it two ways: as 30 serialized, 90-second episodes in the vertical format popularized by TikTok, or as a single widescreen HD film that plays the whole story from start to finish. Teachers can screen the film in a class period, and students can watch the series on their phones.

The series was created by Spencer Striker, PhD, a Professor of Digital Media Design at Northwestern University in Qatar and the founder of Spencer Striker Digital Learning. “I’m sharing Al-Khwarizmi at no cost and in multiple formats,” Striker said, “so that when teachers, students, or history buffs are looking for a visual depiction of this formative period in the history of mathematics, our series will be readily available.”

The series shows how modern computer science and AI trace back to Al-Khwarizmi's work more than 1,200 years ago. By combining Greek geometry with Indian arithmetic, he wrote the first book of algebra and laid out each method as step-by-step instructions anyone could follow. When his work reached Europe in Latin, his name was written as Algoritmi, and that became the word “algorithm.” The title of his book, Al-Jabr, became the word “algebra.”

Striker said he created and shared the landscape version of the series for use in classrooms, where professors and teachers can use it in lessons about math, social studies, or world history. He will also share his production notes with educators teaching classes about AI or animation.

"AI holds enormous promise, but without thinkers like Al-Khwarizmi, neither AI nor algebra would exist," said Striker. "Revealing the historical roots of these tools reminds students that there is no substitute for human intelligence and creativity."

Al-Khwarizmi: Father of Algebra & the Algorithm was sponsored by the Doha Film Institute Web Series Grant and selected for the Qumra 2026 Series Lab.

About Spencer Striker Digital Learning
Spencer Striker Digital Learning produces free interactive learning experiences combining AI with lifelike digital media design on topics that help students make sense of complex issues. Spencer Striker is a Professor of Digital Media Design at Northwestern University in Qatar. His award-winning learning experiences include apps, games, motion comics, VR and web-based story-telling. Learn more at SpencerStriker.com.