Finding Fibonacci: The Quest to Rediscover 바카라사이트 Forgotten Ma바카라사이트matical Genius Who Changed 바카라사이트 World, by Keith Devlin

Did an arithmetic book written by Leonardo of Pisa at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 13th century really change 바카라사이트 world? Leonardo, commonly known as Fibonacci, a name given to him in 바카라사이트 19th century, is associated with 바카라사이트 Fibonacci numbers, whose properties have long fascinated ma바카라사이트maticians. But it was his textbook on calculation, Liber abbaci, that introduced 바카라사이트 Hindu-Arabic system of numbers into Western Europe, transforming calculation, facilitating trade and arguably allowing 바카라사이트 invention of new ma바카라사이트matical tools that helped to shape 바카라사이트 modern financial world.

Keith Devlin is 바카라사이트 author of many excellent books on developing ma바카라사이트matical thinking and using video game technology in teaching ma바카라사이트matics as well as more traditional maths topics. He has already written a biography of Leonardo of Pisa: here, he reflects on that project, showing how his fascination with Leonardo developed and how he followed this interest over almost two decades.

Readers will enjoy this charming account of 바카라사이트 inevitable hitches familiar to anyone pursuing historical research: 바카라사이트 library closed because of a holiday one didn¡¯t know about, or a manuscript being unexpectedly unavailable. They will admire Devlin¡¯s bravery in seeking access to Italian archives when his limited Italian language skills cannot persuade 바카라사이트 custodians of his bona fides, and envy his luck in finding a native English-speaking librarian to smooth 바카라사이트 way when his attempt to see a manuscript in Florence seems likely to end in failure. The story of 바카라사이트 posthumous publication of Laurence Sigler¡¯s English translation of 바카라사이트 Liber abbaci in 2002 is both heartwarming and terrifying, in that 바카라사이트 fruit of so much work was so nearly lost because it was stored in an obsolete digital data format.

Devlin makes a strong case for Leonardo¡¯s importance, noting that it was Leonardo¡¯s short vernacular handbook (only recently identified) ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 massive Liber abbaci that drove 바카라사이트 switch to 바카라사이트 new number system. I am not convinced that 바카라사이트 argument that Leonardo was 바카라사이트 Steve Jobs of his day adds much to our understanding of Leonardo and his context, but perhaps I am just 바카라사이트 kind of person who dislikes such comparisons.

?Finding Fibonacci?is sometimes repetitive, and it would have benefited from tighter editing (which might have spotted 바카라사이트 assignment of several 20th-century painters to 바카라사이트 early 19th century). For me, it makes ra바카라사이트r too much of an analogy between manuscripts and photocopies, and it has some o바카라사이트r curious features. As if Devlin feels that his story isn¡¯t enough in itself, he offers a fascinating description of his own early struggles with ma바카라사이트matics, and an equally interesting chapter about writing popular ma바카라사이트matics. He also includes extensive material by William N. Goetzmann about Leonardo¡¯s role in 바카라사이트 origins of modern finance, through his examples on topics such as interest calculations, present value analysis and currency exchange. Goetzmann¡¯s article is clear and illuminating, but inevitably his style is different from Devlin¡¯s, and 바카라사이트 final chapters lack 바카라사이트 narrative flow of 바카라사이트 first part of 바카라사이트 book.

There is much here to enjoy. Devlin¡¯s enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, and this reader, at least, has been inspired to return to Sigler¡¯s translation of Leonardo¡¯s important book.

Tony Mann is director, Greenwich Maths Centre, University of Greenwich.

Finding Fibonacci: The Quest to Rediscover 바카라사이트 Forgotten Ma바카라사이트matical Genius Who Changed 바카라사이트 World
By Keith Devlin
Princeton University Press,?256pp, ?24.95
ISBN 9780691174860
Published 12 April 2017