Fibonacci
~1170–1250 · Italian · Medieval Period
Known for: Introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe and discovered the Fibonacci sequence
Fibonacci (Leonardo of Pisa) traveled through North Africa and the Middle East, learning Arabic mathematics. His Liber Abaci introduced Europe to the decimal system, demonstrating its superiority over Roman numerals for commerce.
The Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...) appears throughout nature—in flower petals, pinecones, seashells, and spiral galaxies.
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