LESSON 2: FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

The Fibonacci numbers are a series of numbers that often occur in nature. This number
sequence was developed in the middle ages, and it was named after Leonardo Pisano Bigollo,
a famous Italian mathematician who also happened to discover Fibonacci. Fibonacci is the short
term for the latin filius bonacci, which means “the son of Bonacci”.
In 1202, Leonardo Pisano Bigollo published his most prominent work the Liber Abaci
(The Book of Calculating). In this book, he introduced his famous rabbit problem.
If a pair of rabbits is put into a walled enclosure (room) to breed, how many pairs of
rabbits will be there after a year if it is assumed that every month each pair produces one new
pair, which begins to bear young two months after its own birth?
Table 1. Breeding of Rabbits

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Months
month month month month month month month month month
No. of pairs 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34

The table gives us an idea of the total number of rabbit pairs in each month under the
given condition.
If we observe carefully the table, it reveals that each entry in the second row may be
found through a pattern. It means that the set numbers in the said row of the table forms a
sequence, known as “Fibonacci Sequence.”

Watch this video to learn more about the Fibonacci Rabbit Problem.

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Rabbits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1L8XMTi_Vw

What is a Fibonacci sequence?

The series of numbers 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55,… is called th Fibonacci
Sequence. The sequence begins with zero or one. Each subsequent number is found by getting
the sum of the two preceding numbers.
 In particular,
- 2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1)
- 3 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+2)
- 5 is found by adding the two numbers before it (2+3)
- and 8 is from (3+5), and so on!

Example:
The next number in the Fibonacci sequence 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55,
is 34+55 = 89

A sequence is an ordered set of numbers, shapes, or any other mathematical objects

arranged into a rule.
Consider all the Fibonacci sequences, and number each term from 0 onward.

n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

F(n) 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21

So the term number 6 is called F6 (which is equals to 8).

Example: If we want to find the 8th term (F8), then we have to add the 7th term (F7) and 6th term
(F6):
F 8=F7 + F 6
F 8=13+8
F 8=21
The example above suggests the rule that makes the Fibonacci sequence; that is, “the
next number is the sum of the previous two.” In symbols,
F n=F n−1+ F n−2

where Fn - is the term number n

Fn-1 - is the previous term (n-1)
Fn-2 - is the term before that (n-2)

Example: Calculate the value of F9.

F 9=F 8+ F 7
F 9=21+13
F 8=34
Example: Calculate the value of F10.
F 10=F9 + F 8
F 10=34+21
F 10=55

Another interesting thing about Fibonacci Sequence is that it shows multiples of a

number.

n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

F(n) 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55
 F3 = 2. Every 3rd number is a multiple of 2 (2, 8, 34, 144, 610,…)
F4 = 3. Every 4th number is a multiple of 3 (3, 21, 144,…)
F5 = 5. Every 5th number is a multiple of 5 (5, 55, 610,…)
F6 = 8. Every 6th number is a multiple of 8
In conclusion, every nth number is a multiple of Fn.

Fibonacci Spiral
Fibonacci spiral is the most prominent geometric application of Fibonacci numbers in our
nature.
We can construct a nice spiral by placing together rectangles of relative side lengths
using Fibonacci numbers. Then, draw a spiral starting from the corner of the first rectangle of
side length 1, all the way to the corner of the rectangle of side length 13.
Examples of plants that exhibit Fibonacci spiral or numbers are the following:
1. Sunflower
2. Pinecones
3. Pineapples

Watch this video to learn more about different plants that exhibit Fibonacci spiral or numbers.

The Fibonacci Sequence: Nature’s Code

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTlw7fNcO-0

The Golden Ratio

The ratio of two successive Fibonacci numbers is very close to the Golden Ratio “ φ ”,
which is approximately 1.618034… Golden Ratio is an irrational number and is typically
represented by the Greek letter Phi “φ ”.
Golden ratio is a special number also known as the Golden Section, Golden Mean,
Divine Proportion, or Greek letter Phi, which exists when a line is divided into two parts, and the
longer part (a) divided by the smaller part (b) is equal to the sum of (a)+(b) divided by (a), which
is both equal to 1.618.
Using the Golden Ratio, we can calculate any Fibonacci number. In the table below, the
φn
notation ≈ 2.236 …=√ 5.
fn
 n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
φn
0 1.618 2.618 2.118 2.285 2.218 2.243 2.236
fn

φn φn
Since =√ 5 then we can write f n ≈ .
fn √5
φn
Let us find the 3rd Fibonacci number using f n ≈
√5
n = 3, and φ=1.618
( 1.618 )3 4.236
f 3≈ = =1.8944=2
√5 2.236

Example: Use the same formula to find the 10th Fibonacci number.
n = 10, and φ=1.618
( 1.618 )10
f 10 ≈ =54.99=55
√5

Example: Use the same formula to find the 12th Fibonacci number.
n = 12, and φ=1.618
(1.618 )12
f 12 ≈ =143.97=144
√5
However the following theorem gives the exact formula for computing the nth term of the
Fibonacci sequence.

Theorem 1.1. The nth term, fn of the Fibonacci sequence is given by:
n n

f n=
√5 [
1 ( 1+ √ 5 ) −( 1− √ 5 )
2n ]
Example: Using the given formula, solve for the13th Fibonacci number.
n n

f n=
√5 [
1 ( 1+ √ 5 ) −( 1− √ 5 )
2n
13
]
13

f 13=
√5 [
1 ( 1+ √5 ) −( 1−√ 5 )

13
213
13
]
1 ( 3.236 ) −(−1.236 )
f 13=
√5 [8,192 ]
1
f 13= [ 521.004 ] =233
√5
Example: Using the given formula, solve for the 20th Fibonacci number.
n n

f n=
√5 [
1 ( 1+ √ 5 ) −( 1− √ 5 )
2n
20
]
20

f 20=
√5 [
1 ( 1+ √5 ) −( 1−√ 5 )

20
220
20
]
1 (3.236 ) −(−1.236 )
f 20=
√5 [
1,08,576 ]
f 20=6,765

As a summary, watch this video to learn more about Fibonacci sequence

The Fibonacci Sequence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC-d4dKTyKw

Fibonacci Sequence and Pascal’s Triangle

Pascal’s triangle, developed by Blaise Pascal, is formed by starting with an apex of 1.

Every number below in the triangle is the sum of the two numbers diagonally above it to the left
and the right.
 How do we write or construct the Pascal’s triangle? Begin with a 1 on top with 1’s
running down the two sides of a triangle as in figure 1. Each additional number lies between two
numbers and below them, and its value is the sum of the two numbers above it. The theoretical
triangle is infinite and continues downward forever, but only the first 6 lines appear in figure 1. In
the figure, each number has arrows pointing to it from the numbers whose sum it is.
The numbers on diagonals of the triangle add to the Fibonacci sequence, shown below:

Practice
Test your understanding by answering the following problems.
 https://www.triviaplaza.com/fibonacci-numbers-quiz/

References

Marshall, J. (Director). (2010). The Fibonacci Sequence and the Rabbits [Video file]. Retrieved
July 9, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1L8XMTi_Vw

TheSciShow (Director). (2012). The Fibonacci Sequence: Nature's Code [Video file]. Retrieved
July 9, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTlw7fNcO-0

The Fibonacci Sequence [Video file]. (2017). Retrieved July 9, 2020, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC-d4dKTyKw
Meindertsma, P. (2001). Trivia Plaza. Retrieved July 09, 2020, from
https://www.triviaplaza.com/fibonacci-numbers-quiz/

Tolentino, A., Gutierrez, M., Hernandez, F., Ramos, R., Hortelano, J., & Pante, T. (2018).
Mathematics in the Modern World. Malabon City, Philippines: Mutya Publishing House.