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Fibonacci Facts & Worksheets

Leonardo Fibonacci (more popularly known as Fibonacci, Leonardo Pisano or Leonardo of Pisa) was an Italian mathematician who was considered the best mathematician of the Middle Ages.

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Leonardo Fibonacci (more popularly known as Fibonacci, Leonardo Pisano or Leonardo of Pisa) was an Italian mathematician who was considered the best mathematician of the Middle Ages. He is best known for his work of the Fibonacci numbers and the book Liber Abaci (Book of Abacus).

See the fact file below for more information on the Fibonacci or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Fibonacci worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE & FAMILY

  • Fibonacci was born in the Medieval Period, around 1170.
  • His father was Guglielmo, an Italian merchant.
  • Guglielmo became a consul at a trading post in Bugia, Algeria.
  • Fibonacci travelled with his father.
  • It was in Bugia where he learned about the Hindu–Arabic number system.

HINDU-ARABIC NUMERAL STUDY

  • Fibonacci learned calculation with the help of an Arab master.
  • He studied methods of calculation and numerical systems in Greece, Egypt, Provence, Sicily, and Syria.
  • Studying the Hindu-Arabic numeral systems led Fibonacci to write Liber Abaci (“Book of Abacus” or “Book of Calculations”).
  • Liber Abaci is considered a pioneering work because only a few European thinkers and scholars knew about the Hindu-Arabic numeral system.
  • Prior to Fibonacci’s, the writings of Arab mathematician al-Khwārizmī was the only reference to have been translated in European writing in the 9th century.

LIBER ABACI

  • The first seven chapters of Liber Abaci talked about the concept of the place value.
  • The principle of place value or notation states that to determine whether a number is a unit, 10, 100, and so on, the position of a figure is first to be considered.
  • Fibonacci also showed the proper use of the numerals in arithmetical operations.

REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS

  • The mathematical techniques explained in Liber Abaci had real life applications at the time, such as barter, money exchange, weights and measures, interests, and profit margins.
  • Medieval techniques such as the Rule of Three and Rule of Five were used in calculating proportions.
  • The Rule of Three is a method of finding the value of a number in the same ratio to a given number with its value between two other given numbers.
  • There is also another technique called the Rule of False Position which is a calculation method that starts with an assumption then proceeds with calculating the proportion.
  • The techniques in Liber Abaci were also used in extracting root numbers.
  • It was also very useful in studying the properties of numbers.
  • Liber Abaci included a few algebra and geometry explanations.

MEETING WITH FREDERICK II

  • The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II showed interest in the Liber Abaci.
  • There were many copycats of Fibonacci’s work.
  • In the 1220’s, Fibonacci was invited into the company of Frederick II.
  • One in the scientific entourage of Frederick II, John of Palermo put forward a series of problems which Fibonacci had already talked about in his published work.

PRACTICA GEOMETRIAE

  • To continue his earlier work, Fibonacci published Practica Geometriae (“Practice of Geometry”) in 1220.
  • This work had eight chapters of theorems founded on Euclid’s work “Elements and On Divisions.”

LIBER QUADRATORUM

  • Fibonacci continued to correspond with Frederick II and his scientific scholars and constantly discussed problems with them.
  • In 1225, he dedicated his work Liber Quadratorum (“Book of Square Numbers”) to the emperor.
  • Liber Quadratorum was completely committed to Diophantine equations of the second degree.
  • His previous works were undoubtedly influential, but Liber Quadratorum is considered by many to be Fibonacci’s masterpiece.
  • The theorems in Liber Quadratorum were systematically arranged.
  • Fibonacci freely used his original theories and methods in solving problems, especially with regard to congruent numbers.
  • Congruent numbers are numbers that give the same remainder when divided by a given number.
  • The Liber Quadratorum placed Fibonacci as one of the major contributors to number theory.

FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

  • Fibonacci is also world famous for developing the Fibonacci sequence and the Fibonacci number.
  • It began with rabbits. Liber Abaci solved a problem about the growth of a population of rabbits based on ideal assumptions.
  • The solution to the problem was a sequence of numbers later called Fibonacci numbers.
  • Liber Abaci included the earliest known explanation of the sequence in the Western world.
  • Fibonacci sequence is described as each number being the sum of the previous two numbers.
  • An example of a Fibonacci sequence is 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…
  • Fibonacci omitted the zero but it is included in modern times.

LEGACY

  • A statue of Fibonacci was built in the 19th century. It is located in the western gallery of the Camposanto historical cemetery on the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa.
  • Many mathematical concepts have been named after Fibonacci especially when related to the Fibonacci sequence or his other work.
  • Those mathematical concepts include the Pisano period and the Brahmagupta–Fibonacci identity.
  • An asteroid was named 6765 Fibonacci.

Fibonacci Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Fibonacci across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Fibonacci worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Leonardo Fibonacci (more popularly known as Fibonacci, Leonardo Pisano or Leonardo of Pisa) who was an Italian mathematician who was considered the best mathematician of the Middle Ages. He is best known for his work of the Fibonacci numbers and the book Liber Abaci (Book of Abacus).

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Fibonacci Facts
  • Life Summary
  • Learning Numbers
  • Fill the Timeline
  • Complete the Dialogue
  • Fibonacci Numbers
  • Sorting Ideas
  • Medieval Scholars
  • Properties of Numbers
  • Fibonacci’s Legacy
  • Without Fibonacci

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Link will appear as Fibonacci Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 23, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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