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Astro*Dictionary by Michael Erlewine

 

 

 

 

1 article for "Fibonacci, Leonardo"

Fibonacci, Leonardo [Astro*Index]

(fee-boh-naht'chee)

(1170?-1230?) Italian mathematician. Also called Leonardo da Pisa.

He was tutored in Algebra by a Muhammadan, and later traveled extensively, spending long periods in North Africa (in connection with commercial ventures for his father's warehouse in Pisa). There he was introduced to Arabic mathematics, and with the positional notation of al- Khwarizmi (who had learned it from the Hindus). In his book, Liber Abaci (Book of the Abacus), published in 1202, Fibonacci explained the `Arabic' Numerals (and zero) thus popularizing the subject previously introduced by Adelard of Bath. Although distinguished by many other mathematical achievements (such as the Fibonacci Numbers), this introduction of positional notation was to profoundly affect all subsequent mathematical efforts.

 

Astro*Index Copyright © 1997 Michael Erlewine