Leonardo Fibonacci
May 2nd, 1200
Dear Bonaccio,
May 2nd, 1200
Dear Bonaccio,
I am currently in Syria, having just left Algeria by camel. It is so hot here.
I wear my toga everywhere; the white-stained fabric can barely conceal my skin
against the burning orange sun. Thankfully I have left the nickname of
Bigollone behind, I am no longer known as the “dunce” or “blockhead.” My new friends just call me Leonardo, but I
miss the joking way in which you used to yell at me “Bigollone, finish your
systems of equations and sell these items!”
Father, I have something to confess. I know you have always dreamt of the day I become a merchant like you, the day I take over the position of the official trader in Algeria, but I have decided on a different profession. I know this will not disappoint you, as you have stuck by me faithfully all my life. After spending time in the bazaars here, I have become fascinated by the way the skilled merchants, almost as skilled as you, calculate prizes and averages of all items. The process of selling does not interest me but the process of calculation never ceases to. Father, I have decided to become a mathematician. It is my passion in life, and you know that numbers have always fascinated me. I hope you are not disappointed in the path I have chosen.
Where I reside in Damascus, there are mostly Muslims, which is perfectly fine with me. I find Moorish math fascinating, and have already begun to study some of their systems. The more time I spend in this part of the Byzantine Empire, the more gratitude I feel for you. If you had not encouraged me to travel so freely around the empire, a privilege of being a merchant, I would not have been able to visit all the centers of trade; for this, I thank you. Within these centers I have learned the mathematics of scholars. A friend of mine named Mohammed is a vendor and calculates the prices and value of all items east of the Nile, and I have begun to learn the calculating schemes in popular use here. A calculation technique I have learned from my other friend Abdul has proved vital to studies here. This new system contains ten digits, a zero, and fraction units. It will soon replace the European style of Roman numerals, which do not possess the property of zero, or a non-existent amount, yet can be used as a place holder in value systems. Abdul calls it the “decimal system”. I plan to write a book on the system called “Liber abaci” which will explain the rules of adding, subtracting, and multiplying different numbers. I know it sounds difficult, but you have taught me to persevere and I know it will be completed by at least 1202.
Hope all is well in Algeria. Much love.
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Sincerely,
Your son Leonardo
Traveling by camel, pursuing your dream career, living in Syria, what a wonderful life you are living! Oh how I wish I could travel to see Syria, and although I travel often, visiting Asia would be an incredible stimulation of smells, sights, and sounds. It's so great to hear that you have found your life's passion in mathematics, and you should feel so lucky to have mentors and friends in your same field. Because I travel frequently, I have only found friendship in a few men, and am envious of your relationships with Abdul and Mohammed. I find your work on the number system quite modern and plan on being the first person to purchase your book when it is published! I hope that you never give up with your pursuit of mathematics, for even in my old age I found art and math as my only solemn friend. In addition, my only question is quite comical but I am confused why you were called a blockhead. Was it that you had a rather large head as a child? This name humors me, for when I was a young boy I loved my nickname, Mauk.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all of your endeavors,
M.C. Escher
Leonardo,
ReplyDeleteYour story of world travel intrigues me. I would love to scour the world for new methods and techniques! I bet math develops differently in different regions of the world. I think it is very interesting to hear that you want to pursue a career in mathematics. I think it's good you were raised by a merchant, because had you not, you would never have had exposure to math all of your life, and also would never have traveled to the far reaches of the earth to learn new forms of mathematics. It is interesting to hear about your discovery of zero. I use zero every day and play around with it frequently. I would enjoy reading your book; I believe I would learn a lot. However I do wonder, what was you impression when you first discovered zero? Such a discovery would be very surprising and eye opening for myself!
Best Wishes,
David Hilbert