ca 1170-1245, Italy.
Fibonacci introduced new methods of arithmetic to Europe, and relayed the mathematics of the Hindus, Persians, and Arabs. He re-introduced older Greek ideas like Mersenne numbers and Diophantine equations. His work with congruums, which arose from the search for three square numbers in consecutive arithmetic series, has been called the finest in number theory before Fermat. His writings cover a very broad range including new theorems of geometry, methods to construct and convert Egyptian fractions, irrational numbers, the Chinese Remainder Theorem, theorems about Pythagorean triplets, and the series 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, … which is now linked with the name Fibonacci.
Fibonacci provided Europe with the decimal system, algebra, and the ‘lattice’ method of multiplication. He introduced notation like 3/5; his clever extension of this for quantities like 5 yards, 2 feet, and 3 inches is more efficient that today’s notation. Before the decimal system, mathematicians had no notation for zero. Leonardo ‘Fibonacci’ has been called “the most talented mathematician of the Middle Ages.”
Liber Abaci, written by Fibonacci, summarizes the decimal system in “the most important sentence ever written.” There is no doubt that the Scientific Revolution owes a huge debt to Leonardo ‘Fibonacci’ Pisano.
Allen, James Dow. “The Greatest Mathematicians.” 1998-2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment