Kuwaiti Algorithm (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Kuwaiti algorithm is used by Microsoft to convert between Gregorian calendar dates and Islamic calendar dates. There is no fixed correspondence defined in advance between the Gregorian solar calendar and the Islamic lunar calendar, since the latter is defined by the visibility of the new moon by religious authorities and can therefore vary by a day or two, depending on the particular Islamic authority, weather conditions, and other variables. As an attempt to make conversions between the calendars somewhat predictable, Microsoft claims to have created this algorithm based on statistical analysis of historical data from Kuwait. However, its results are identical to a variation of the tabular Islamic calendar, which was introduced by Muslim astronomers around the eighth century.cite_ref-2