Luca Pacioli was an Italian mathematician and Franciscan friar, born around 1447 in Sansepolcro, Italy. He is often referred to as the "father of accounting" for his significant contributions to the field. Pacioli is best known for his work titled Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita, published in 1494, which included the first published description of double-entry bookkeeping. In addition to accounting, Pacioli made contributions to various areas of mathematics, including geometry and algebra. He was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci and collaborated with him on several projects. Pacioli's work laid the foundation for modern accounting practices and influenced future generations of mathematicians and accountants.