FIBONACCI SEQUENCE The sequence encountered in the rabbit problem 1, 1,

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, …. is called
where a number is found by adding up the two numbers
before it. Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes 0, 1,
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and so forth. Written as a rule,
the expression is
X n=X n−1 + X n−2
Named after Fibonacci, also known as Leonardo
of Pisa or Leonardo Pisano, Fibonacci numbers were
first introduced in his Liber Abbaci (Book of Calculation)
in 1202. The son of a Pisan merchant, Fibonacci traveled
widely and traded extensively. Mathematics was
incredibly important to those in the trading industry,
and his passion for numbers was cultivated in his youth.
THE HABBIT RABBIT
One of the book’s exercises which is written like
this “A man put a pair of rabbits in a place surrounded
on all sides by a wall. How many pairs of rabbits are
produced from that pair in a year, if it supposed that
every month each pair produces a new pair, which from
the second month onwards becomes productive?” This
is best understood in this diagram:
the Fibonacci sequence and its terms the Fibonacci
numbers.
GOLDEN RECTANGLE
Leonardo of Pisa also known as Fibonacci
discovered a sequence of numbers that created an
interesting numbers that created an interesting pattern
the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… each number is
obtained by adding the last two numbers of the
sequence forms what is known as golden rectangle a
perfect rectangle. A golden rectangle can be broken
down into squares the size of the next Fibonacci
number down and below. If we were to take a golden
rectangle, break it down to smaller squares based from
Fibonacci sequence and divide each with an arc, the
pattern begin to take shapes, we begin with Fibonacci
spiral in which we can see in nature.

FIBONACCI NUMBERS IN NATURE

Flower petals exhibit the Fibonacci number,
white calla lily contains 1 petal, euphorbia contains 2
petals, trillium contains 3 petals, columbine contains 5
petals, bloodroot contains 8 petals, black-eyed susan
contains 13 petals, shasta daisies 21 petals, field daisies
contains 34 petals and other types of daisies contain 55
and 89 petals.

GROWTH OF RABBIT COLONY

ADULT YOUNG
MONTHS TOTAL
PAIRS PAIRS
1 1 1 2
2 2 1 3
3 3 2 5
4 5 3 8
5 8 5 13 FIBONACCI SEQUENCE IN NATURE
6 13 8 21 The sunflower seed conveys the Fibonacci
sequence. The pattern of two spirals goes in opposing
7 21 13 34
directions (clockwise and counter-clockwise ). The
8 34 21 55
number of clockwise spirals and counter clockwise
9 55 34 89
spirals are consecutive Fibonacci numbers and usually
10 89 55 144
contains 34 and 55 seeds.
11 144 89 233
12 233 144 377

MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD by PMSJR Page 1

 a+b a
φ= = =1.618033987 … .
a b

b a a/b
2 3 1.5
3 5 1.666666666…
5 8 1.6
The Fibonacci sequence can also be seen in the
8 13 1.625
way tree branches form or split. A main trunk will grow
13 21 1.615384615...
until it produces a branch, which creates two growth
21 34 1.61905
points. Then, one of the new stems branches into two,
34 55 1.61765
while the other one lies dormant. This pattern of
branching is repeated for each of the new stems. A . . .
good example is the sneezewort. Root systems and . . .
even algae exhibit this pattern. 144 233 1.618055556...
233 377 1.618025751...

GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Golden ratio can be deduced in an isosceles
triangle. If we take the isosceles triangle that has the
two base angles of 72 degrees and we bisect one of the
base angles, we should see that we get another golden
triangle that is similar to the golden rectangle. If we
apply the same manner as the golden rectangle, we
should get a set of whirling triangles. With these
GOLDEN RATIO whirling triangles, we are able to draw a logarithmic
Fibonacci discovery of Fibonacci sequence spiral that will converge at the intersection of the two
happened to approach the ratio asymptotically. He lines. The spiral converges at the intersection of the two
found the interesting and mysterious properties of the lines and this ratio of the lengths of these two lines is in
Fibonacci sequence that the series has a deep the Golden Ratio.
relationship with the golden ratio.
The golden ratio was first called as the Divine
Proportion in the early 1500s in Leonardo da Vinci’s
work which was explored by Luca Pacioli entitled “De
Divina Proportione” in 1509. This contains the drawings
of the five platonic solids and it was probably da Vinci
who first called it “section aurea” which is Latin for
Golden Secion.
In mathematics, two quantities are in the
Golden ratio if their ratio is the same of their sum to the
larger of the two quantities. The Golden Ratio is the
relationship between numbers on the Fibonacci
sequence where plotting the relationships on scales
results in a spiral shape. In simple terms, golden ratio is
expressed as an equation, where a is larger than b,
(a+b) divided by a is equal to a divided by b, which is
equal to 1.618033987…and represented by φ (phi).

MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD by PMSJR Page 2