LEWISBURG – Ever wonder where our numbers came from? Why we don’t use Roman numerals anymore, or why we count the way we do. Bucknell University will be hosting a conference this weekend discussing these very topics when then celebrate the translation of Fibonacci’s “Liber Abaci” (translated “Book of Calculation).
Tom Cassidy, Chair of Bucknell’s Dept. of Mathematics, told WKOK the why they want to celebrate this work, “It’s hugely influential in the west, and can be seen as the start of capitalism as we know. We want to tell a bit of the story of the book and how it came to be translated, and it’s impact.”
Cassidy says that Fibonacci’s work is very significant to our way of life, “Business requires numbers, and the story we have to tell is about the numbers we actually use today. In the year 1200, people in western Europe were still using Roman numerals, and it was Fibbonacci’s book that convinced people to use the Hindu numerals that we have now, a different way of writing.”
Laurence Sigler is the person responsible for an English translation of Fibonacci’s work, and as a former Bucknell professor, the University is celebrating that feat on Saturday, October 14 from 10am – 2:30pm at the Elaine Langone Center. The event is free and open to the public, lunch will be provided, and guests are asked to RSVP by sending an email to math@Bucknell.edu.
