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You might notice that the name Fibonacci sounds familiar, especially
if youve ever done some extra math-related research in or outside of
school. In fact, the Fibonacci numbers, also known as the Fibonacci
sequence, make up one of the most famous number patterns in the
history
of
math!
The
sequence
is
named
after
the
famous
Fibonacci.
Yes,
the
same
What Makes a
Sequence?
Sequence may sound like a fancy mathematical term, but a
sequence is nothing more than a pattern of numbers. The following
are all examples of sequences:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63
The first sequence is just all of the whole numbers starting with 1.
The pattern in the second sequence may be a little harder to
identify, but it starts with the number 1, and then each number is
one more than twice the previous number. So to form a sequence,
all you need is some sort of pattern to follow.
Weve been calling it the Fibonacci sequence, so what is the
pattern for this special set of numbers? Well, the first and second
Fibonacci numbers are both 1, and every other Fibonacci number is
the sum of the previous two numbers. Thats all there is to it!
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55,
Ive been working on this problem for a
while. Why dont you give it a try? See if
you can find the pattern for this sequence:
1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21,
Recursion
Think about the definition of the Fibonacci sequence. We start
with two initial values, and then every other term in the sequence
is based on the previous two. Now imagine that we want the 100th
Fibonacci number. Well, we will need the 99th and 98th numbers for
that. But to find those numbers we are going to need the 97th and
96th numbers, and then the 95th and 94th. You need to go all the
way to the 1st and 2nd numbers and build your way back up to the
100th number. This is what recursion is. You begin with some
starting value, and then every value after that is based on the
previous values. Then, in order to find a particular number, you
need to find every single number in the sequence up to that point.
You can think of recursion like the tower below. If I want the
lowest ring, Im going to need to remove every single ring above it.
The Fibonacci sequence has a lot of neat properties, and youll find that
playing around with it can yield some pretty interesting results. Try this:
Take the second Fibonacci number and divide it by the first. As it turns
out, this is pretty easy. The first and second Fibonacci numbers are both
1, and 1 divided by itself is clearly 1. Now take the third Fibonacci
number and divide it by the second. The third Fibonacci number is 2, so 2
divided by 1 gives us 2. Following this pattern, you would then take the
fourth Fibonacci number, 3, and divide it by the third, so 3 divided by 2
gives you about 1.67. If you keep trying this with higher and higher
Fibonacci numbers, youll see that your answers get closer and closer to a
certain number. This number, approximately equal to 1.618034, is known
as the golden ratio and is a very special value, indeed. In mathematical
terms, it is defined as the number ratio between two sides, call them a
and b, such that the ratio of (a + b) to a is the same value.
The golden ratio is usually
represented by the Greek letter phi
() in honor of the Greek sculptor
Phidas, who used it in his artwork.
A Similar Sequence
Recall that the first two numbers of the Fibonacci sequence are 1
and 1. Now imagine if we chose two different numbers to start
with but still added every two numbers to create the next number
in the sequence. Well, Franois Lucas did exactly that and started
a sequence with 1 and 3. This sequence is named the Lucas
sequence and the first few terms of the sequence are
1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 18, 29,
The Lucas sequence is formed in the same way as the Fibonacci
sequence, so it may not come as a surprise that the ratio between
consecutive Lucas numbers also gets closer and closer to the
golden ratio.
Famous Fibonacci
Patterns & Shapes
Lots of famous geometric shapes, many of which can be found in
works of art, are related to the Fibonacci sequence. For example:
The Fibonacci Pinecone:
A three-dimensional image, in which the petals
of the pinecone are counted in a spiral downwards
from the top of the cone. The Fibonacci numbers
can be seen highlighted on this cone.
Fibonacci in Nature
One of the most fascinating things about the Fibonacci sequence is that
they are not just a manmade concept. When we look a little closer, we
find countless examples of the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio
in nature. For example, in the image on this page, the leaves of the
plant are arranged in logarithmic spiral patterns around its center. The
fact that these numbers show up in the natural world around us on a
regular basis makes it sound like they must have some sort of special
significance, doesnt it? Experts in science, mathematics, and art
certainly think so. Because humans tend to look at nature as especially
beautiful, many believe that the close connection between the
Fibonacci sequence and nature makes designs that incorporate the
Fibonacci numbers more aesthetically pleasing. For this reason, many
artists have tried to work these numbers into their art in order to
capture the beauty of nature.
Conch Shells:
An obvious example of the Fibonacci sequence
in nature is the conch shell. The spiral pattern
of these shells traces out a perfect Fibonacci
spiral shape.
Florets:
Many of those little seedlike parts of
flowers that you see, known as florets,
also behave according to the golden
ratio and are arranged in a Fibonacci
spiral pattern.
Petals:
Many flowers, such as the one shown
to the right often contain a special
number of petals. Can you guess what
kind of special number? Thats right, a
Fibonacci number!
Fibonaccis Sequence
in Famous Art
Vitruvian Man:
Another piece of artwork by Leonardo Da
Vinci, The Vetruvian Man, uses the Fibonacci
sequence in a different way. The ratio of the
distance from the mans feet to his stomach
to the distance from the mans stomach to
his head is approximately the golden ratio.
Crucifixion:
In this piece of art by the famous painter
Rafael, you can see the focal points of the
imagefrom the figure on the cross to the
angels in the background to the spectators
down belowconnect to form a Fibonacci
star, as shown to the left.
Fibonacci in Famous
Architecture
The ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and many other civilizations knew
about the golden ratio. They called it by different names, but they all saw
this particular ratio as very pleasing and designed architecture that
utilized it. The Parthenon, which the Greeks constructed, has the golden
ratio present in many different places. The ratio of the width to the
height of the building and the ratio of the height of the building to the
height of the roof are both golden. Plus, the pillars in the front are placed
so that the width of the building is split into a golden segment. The
Egyptians used the golden ratio to construct the Pyramids of Giza. The
ratio of the side length of the pyramid to half the length of the base is,
you guessed it, the golden ratio.
Stained Glass
Fibonacci Patterns
in
their
artwork.
They
are
stained
glass
Furniture by
Fibonacci
Fibonacci Around
the House
The Fibonacci numbers can come up anywhere if you just look hard
enough. Jason and Marcus found the sequence while enjoying an
afternoon snack of nachos, but where around the house can you find the
Fibonacci sequence? Is the number of teeth on your comb a Fibonacci
number? What about the number of paper clips you can drop into a full
glass of water before it overflows? Experiment and see what you can
find! These things may seem silly, but you never know where a pattern
is going to show up. The Fibonacci sequence is everywhere: you just
need to know where to look!
Glossary
Image Credits
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/085/4/6/Fibonacci_Spiral_Art_by_Grwobert.jpg
http://pics.livejournal.com/skywardprodigal/pic/00e9xgwy
http://math2033.uark.edu/wiki/images/3/35/Fibonacci2.jpg
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http://office.microsoft.com
http://thewoodenwagon.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Stacking_towerL.jpg
http://www.scheerimages.com/files/phi_gold.png
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OtWAadOXEMo/TAqyjW9mAQI/AAAAAAAADNA/zOmE-29hjxM/s400/
Golden_rectangle.png
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/90711c7f41.png
http://faculty.evansville.edu/ck6/bstud/elucas.jpg
http://www.segerman.org/2ndlife/fibonacci_pinecone.jpg
http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/upload/2006/08/pentaphi.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/16/21152695_35a8e05d1a_m.jpg
http://www.jananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/golden-rectangle.gif
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/075/5/9/Fibonacci_Spiral___Flash_Art_by_Rahzizzle.jpg
http://amazingdata.com/mediadata6/Image/amazing_fun_featured_2561778790105101600S600x
600Q85_200907231856306879.jpg
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FibonacciChamomile.PNG
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005449/media/petalsfib.jpg
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http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Su6QxOINZ3I/TCnfgT5NRJI/AAAAAAAAARg/bUkv28QVhlo/s1600/3862.jpg
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http://www.library.mun.ca/qeii/FirstSpace/images/AH09T.jpg
http://www.helixglass.co.uk/images/leaded/thumbnails/fibonacci.jpg
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http://bp1.blogger.com/_UWWH1YUB1Fs/Rw0rxk7g3cI/AAAAAAAAAFk/HsBN_et2W8o/s320/
DSC03634_2.jpg
http://29.media.tumblr.com/FpXBuePy3k2t7k21gl23JORco1_500.gif