As a young boy, Leonardo Pisano, was educated with tutors, both in Italy and in northern Africa. Education was only for the wealthy and influential. It was also only for boys.

Leonardo paid attention to patterns and numbers. Instead of relying on an abacus and the Roman numerals that everyone else used, he was interested in the “ancient” numbering system of Arabia, the numerals with which we are familiar.   

Leonardo recognized that many things in nature occur in the same type of spiral with the same proportions. He published these findings in his first book, Liber abaci,“Book of the abacus,” when he was 32.