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Fibonacci or Leonard of Pisa, played an important role in reviving ancient mathematics and made significant contributions of his own. Liber abaci introduced the Hindu-Arabic place-valued decimal system and the use of Arabic numerals into Europe.Leonardo Pisano is better known by his nickname Fibonacci. He played an important role in reviving ancient mathematics and made significant contributions of his own.
Fibonacci was born in Italy but was educated in North Africa where his father held a diplomatic post. He travelled widely with his father, recognising and the enormous advantages of the mathematical systems used in these countries.
Liber abaci , published in 1202 after his return to Italy, is based on bits of arithmetic and algebra that Fibonacci had accumulated during his travels. Liber abaci introduced the Hindu-Arabic place-valued decimal system and the use of Arabic numerals into Europe.
A problem in Liber abaci led to the introduction of the Fibonacci numbers and the Fibonacci sequence for which Fibonacci is best remembered today. The Fibonacci Quarterly is a modern journal devoted to studying mathematics related to this sequence.
Fibonacci's other books of major importance are Practica geometriae in 1220 containing a large collection of geometry and trigonometry. Also in Liber quadratorum in 1225 he approximates a root of a cubic obtaining an answer which in decimal notation is correct to 9 places.
Mis practica geometriae in 1220 gave a compilation of the geometry of the time and also introduced some trigonometry.
The portrait above is from a modern engraving and is believed to not be based on authentic sources.
References (20 books/articles)
References elsewhere in this archive:
Tell me about Fibonacci's rabbits
Tell me about Fibonacci numbers and the Euclidean algorithm
Show me how continued fractions generate Fibonacci numbers
Other Web sites:
A site about Fibonnaci numbers is at University of Surrey, UK. This gives other links you can follow including a biography.
University of Virginia, USA