Biography of Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci, Noted Italian Mathematician (2024)

Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci (1170–1240 or 1250) was an Italian number theorist. He introduced the world to such wide-ranging mathematical concepts as what is now known as the Arabic numbering system, the concept of square roots, number sequencing, and even math word problems.

Fast Facts: Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci

  • Known For: Noted Italian mathematician and number theorist; developed Fibonacci Numbers and the Fibonacci Sequence
  • Also Known As: Leonard of Pisa
  • Born: 1170 in Pisa, Italy
  • Father: Guglielmo
  • Died: Between 1240 and 1250, most likely inPisa
  • Education: Educated in North Africa; studied mathematics in Bugia, Algeria
  • Published Works: Liber Abaci (The Book of Calculation), 1202 and 1228; Practica Geometriae (The Practice of Geometry), 1220; Liber Quadratorum (The Book of Square Numbers), 1225
  • Awards and Honors: TheRepublic of Pisahonored Fibonacci in 1240 for advising the city and its citizens on accounting issues.
  • Notable Quote: “If by chance I have omitted anything more or less proper or necessary, I beg forgiveness, since there is no one who is without fault and circ*mspect in all matters.”

Early Years and Education

Fibonacci was born in Italy but obtained his education in North Africa. Very little is known about him or his family and there are no photographs or drawings of him. Much of the information about Fibonacci has been gathered by his autobiographical notes, which he included in his books.

Mathematical Contributions

Fibonacci is considered to be one of the most talented mathematicians of the Middle Ages. Few people realize that it was Fibonacci that gave the world the decimal number system (Hindu-Arabic numbering system), which replaced the Roman numeral system. When he was studying mathematics, he used the Hindu-Arabic (0-9) symbols instead of Roman symbols, which didn't have zeros and lacked place value.

In fact, when using the Roman numeral system, an abacus was usually required. There is no doubt that Fibonacci saw the superiority of using Hindu-Arabic system over the Roman Numerals.

Liber Abaci

Fibonacci showed the world how to use what is now our current numbering system in his book "Liber Abaci," which he published in 1202. The title translates as "The Book of Calculation." The following problem was written in his book:

"A certain man put a pair of rabbits in a place surrounded on all sides by a wall. How many pairs of rabbits can be produced from that pair in a year if it is supposed that every month each pair begets a new pair, which from the second month on becomes productive?"

It was this problem that led Fibonacci to the introduction of the Fibonacci Numbers and the Fibonacci Sequence, which is what he remains famous for to this day.

The sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55... This sequenceshows that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. It is a sequence that is seen and used in many different areas of mathematics and science today. The sequence is an example of a recursive sequence.

The Fibonacci Sequence defines the curvature of naturally occurring spirals, such as snail shells and even the pattern of seeds in flowering plants. The Fibonacci Sequence was actually given the name by a French mathematician Edouard Lucas in the 1870s.

Death and Legacy

In addition to "Liber Abaci," Fibonacci authored several other books on mathematical topics ranging from geometry to squaring numbers (multiplying numbers by themselves). The city of Pisa (technically a republic at that time) honored Fibonacci and granted him a salary in 1240 for his help in advising Pisa and its citizens on accounting issues. Fibonacci died between 1240 and 1250 in Pisa.

Fibonacci is famous for his contributions to number theory.

  • In his book, "Liber Abaci," he introduced the Hindu-Arabic place-valued decimal system and the use of Arabic numerals into Europe.
  • He introduced the bar that is used for fractions today; previous to this, the numerator had quotations around it.
  • The square root notation is also a Fibonacci method.

It has been said that the Fibonacci Numbers are nature's numbering system and that they apply to the growth of living things, including cells, petals on a flower, wheat, honeycomb, pine cones, and much more.

Sources

Biography of Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci, Noted Italian Mathematician (2024)

FAQs

Biography of Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci, Noted Italian Mathematician? ›

Fibonacci (born c. 1170, Pisa? —died after 1240) was a medieval Italian mathematician who wrote Liber abaci (1202; “Book of the Abacus”), the first European work on Indian and Arabian mathematics, which introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe. His name is mainly known because of the Fibonacci sequence.

What is Leonardo Fibonacci best known for? ›

By 1200, he settled down in Pisa, Italy, and wrote some of his most important works, including Liber abaci, where he expounded upon his knowledge of algebra and arithmetic. He is perhaps most famous for the Fibonacci sequence, a number sequence where each number is the sum of the preceding two.

Why did Leonardo Fibonacci change his name? ›

The Many Names

604]. His name at birth was simply Leonardo, but in popular works today he is most commonly referred to as Fibonacci (from filio Bonacij, literally meaning son of Bonacci, but here taken as of the family Bonacci, since his father's name was not Bonacci, according to [1, p. 604]).

Where was Fibonacci died? ›

Little is known about the life of Leonardo of Pisa, also called Fibonacci. It is assumed that he was born around 1170 and died after 1240, probably in Pisa. There is an original document from 1241 in which the city of Pisa grants Fibonacci a pension.

What is a famous Fibonacci quote? ›

If by chance I have omitted anything more or less proper or necessary, I beg forgiveness, since there is no one who is without fault and circ*mspect in all matters.

Why was Fibonacci forgotten? ›

In the following centuries, however, Fibonacci was increasingly forgotten, like so many works of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries overrun by the invention of movable type printing. At the most, Fibonacci was known about as a result of Pacioli's testimony.

What does Fibonacci tell you? ›

Fibonacci retracement levels are horizontal lines that indicate the possible locations of support and resistance levels. Each level is associated with one of the above ratios or percentages. It shows how much of a prior move the price has retraced. The direction of the previous trend is likely to continue.

Why is Fibonacci beautiful? ›

The beauty of the Fibonacci Spiral partly lies in its presumed ubiquity in nature. Indeed, allegedly it can be found in various natural phenomena such as the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the branching of trees, the flowering of an artichoke, the form of the Nautilus, etc. (Tsuji & Müller, 2019).

What religion was Leonardo Fibonacci? ›

He grew up and was trained in North Africa, where his father worked. His major contributions to mathematics can be found in his books- Liber Abaci, Practica Geometriae, Flos, and Liber Quadrotorum. Little can be found about his Christian faith, but fruits of his faith can be seen through some of his work.

What is the Fibonacci rule? ›

The Fibonacci sequence is the series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. For example, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, … Mathematically we can describe this as: xn= xn-1 + xn-2.

What was Fibonacci's education like? ›

Answer and Explanation: Fibonacci did not attend a brick and mortar school, as we understand schooling. Instead, Fibonacci was educated by an Arab master in northern Algeria, and he traveled around the Mediterranean to learn.

Who is the man behind Fibonacci? ›

Leonardo of Pisa, better known today as Fibonacci, is largely responsible for the adoption of the Hindu–Arabic numeral system in Europe, which revolutionized not only mathematics but commerce and trade as well.

Where was Fibonacci buried? ›

Tomb of great mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci in the Campo Santo cemetery in Pisa, Italy.

What nationality is Fibonacci? ›

1170 – c. 1240–50), also known as Leonardo Bonacci, Leonardo of Pisa, or Leonardo Bigollo Pisano ('Leonardo the Traveller from Pisa'), was an Italian mathematician from the Republic of Pisa, considered to be "the most talented Western mathematician of the Middle Ages".

Why is Fibonacci become famous? ›

Fibonacci (born c. 1170, Pisa? —died after 1240) was a medieval Italian mathematician who wrote Liber abaci (1202; “Book of the Abacus”), the first European work on Indian and Arabian mathematics, which introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe. His name is mainly known because of the Fibonacci sequence.

Why is the Fibonacci sequence so important? ›

The Fibonacci sequence is important for many reasons. In nature, the numbers and ratios in the sequence can be found in the patterns of petals of flowers, the whorls of a pine cone, and the leaves on stems. As the sequence continues, the ratios of the terms approach a number known as the golden ratio.

What is the golden ratio and what is it used for? ›

The golden ratio has been used to analyze the proportions of natural objects and artificial systems such as financial markets, in some cases based on dubious fits to data. The golden ratio appears in some patterns in nature, including the spiral arrangement of leaves and other parts of vegetation.

Was the Fibonacci sequence discovered by Leonardo da Vinci? ›

They are named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, also known as Fibonacci, who introduced the sequence to Western European mathematics in his 1202 book Liber Abaci.

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