“The first epoch-making algebra to appear in print was the Ars Magna of Cardan”

— David Eugene Smith

Source: History of Mathematics (1925) Vol.2, p.384
Context: The first epoch-making algebra to appear in print was the Ars Magna of Cardan (1545). This was devoted primarily to the solution of algebraic equations. It contained the solution of the cubic and biquadratic equations, made use of complex numbers, and in general may be said to have been the first step toward modern algebra.

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David Eugene Smith33

American mathematician 1860–1944

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Source: History of Mathematics (1925) Vol.2, p. 384; Ch. 6: Algebra

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As quoted in "A Paper of Omar Khayyam" by A.R. Amir-Moez in Scripta Mathematica 26 (1963). This quotation has often been abridged in various ways, usually ending with "Algebras are geometric facts which are proved", thus altering the context significantly.