Finding Fibonacci - The Quest to Rediscover the Forgotten Mathematical Genius Who Changed the World

Keith Devlin
6:30 p.m. - October 12, 2017

1781 Church St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20036

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Abstract: In 2001, Stanford mathematician Keith Devlin set out to research the life and legacy of the thirteenth-century mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, popularly known as Fibonacci. Leonardo introduced the Hindu-Arabic numeral system and arithmetic to the Western world, and thereby helped start a global, social and economic revolution. Devlin recounted Leonardo's story in a 2011 book titled The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci’s Arithmetic Revolution. His new book, Finding Fibonacci is a first-hand account of his experiences in uncovering the story, reconstructed from his project diary and notes, together with stories of three other contemporary scholars who were also motivated to find out about the long-forgotten medieval mathematician who did so much create the world we live in.

Biography: Keith Devlin is a mathematician at Stanford University, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He has written 33 books and over 80 published research articles. Honors include the Pythagoras Prize, the Peano Prize and the Carl Sagan Award. He writes a monthly blog for the MAA titled Devlin’s Angle, and he is "the math guy" on National Public Radio.

Event Status:

Full