Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Fibonacci Sequence and Golden Ratio

Mark John T. Mangsat

Mathematics in the Modern World
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Fibonacci numbers:

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 55, 89, 144, ...

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Fibonacci numbers:

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 55, 89, 144, ...

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Fibonacci numbers:

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 55, 89, 144, ...

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Who is Fibonacci?
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Who is Fibonacci?

Fibonacci was the name given to an Italian Mathematician

Leonardo Pisano which means Leonardo of Pisa, because
he was born in Pisa, Italy around 1175.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Who is Fibonacci?

Fibonacci was the name given to an Italian Mathematician

Leonardo Pisano which means Leonardo of Pisa, because
he was born in Pisa, Italy around 1175.

Fibonacci is the shortened word for the Latin term “filius

Bonacci”, which stands for “son of Bonaccio”. His father
name was Guglielmo Bonaccio .

He first observed the pattern while investigating how fast

rabbits could breed under ideal circumstances. The problem
goes like this.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

“At the beginning of a month, you are given a pair of newborn

rabbits. After a month the rabbits have produced no offspring;
however, every month thereafter, the pair of rabbits produces
another pair of rabbits. The offspring reproduce in exactly the
same manner. If none of the rabbits dies, how many pairs of
rabbits will there be at the start of each succeeding month?”
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence

are 1 and 1.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence

are 1 and 1.

next terms: sum of the previous two

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence

are 1 and 1.

next terms: sum of the previous two

The position of each number in the sequence is indicated by a

subscript, so that F1 = 1, F2 = 1, F3 = 2, and so on.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence

are 1 and 1.

next terms: sum of the previous two

The position of each number in the sequence is indicated by a

subscript, so that F1 = 1, F2 = 1, F3 = 2, and so on.

Fn - nth Fibonacci number

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence

are 1 and 1.

next terms: sum of the previous two

The position of each number in the sequence is indicated by a

subscript, so that F1 = 1, F2 = 1, F3 = 2, and so on.

Fn - nth Fibonacci number

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Fibonacci sequence exhibits the following property.

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Fibonacci sequence exhibits the following property.

1+1=2 or F3 = F2 + F1
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Fibonacci sequence exhibits the following property.

1+1=2 or F3 = F2 + F1

1+2=3 or F4 = F3 + F2
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Fibonacci sequence exhibits the following property.

1+1=2 or F3 = F2 + F1

1+2=3 or F4 = F3 + F2

2+3=5 or F5 = F4 + F3
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Fibonacci sequence exhibits the following property.

1+1=2 or F3 = F2 + F1

1+2=3 or F4 = F3 + F2

2+3=5 or F5 = F4 + F3

3+5=8 or F6 = F5 + F4
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Fibonacci sequence exhibits the following property.

1+1=2 or F3 = F2 + F1

1+2=3 or F4 = F3 + F2

2+3=5 or F5 = F4 + F3

3+5=8 or F6 = F5 + F4
General rule:

F1 = F2 , Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 for n ≥ 3

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Binet Form
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Binet Form
√ !n √ !n
1+ 5 1− 5
−
2 2
Fn = √
5
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Determine the 10th , 25th , and 30th term in a Fibonacci

sequence.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Determine the 10th , 25th , and 30th term in a Fibonacci

sequence.

Solution:
Using recursive formula Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 ,
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Determine the 10th , 25th , and 30th term in a Fibonacci

sequence.

Solution:
Using recursive formula Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 ,
F10 = F9 + F8
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Determine the 10th , 25th , and 30th term in a Fibonacci

sequence.

Solution:
Using recursive formula Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 ,
F10 = F9 + F8 = 34 + 21
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Determine the 10th , 25th , and 30th term in a Fibonacci

sequence.

Solution:
Using recursive formula Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 ,
F10 = F9 + F8 = 34 + 21 = 55
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Determine the 10th , 25th , and 30th term in a Fibonacci

sequence.

Solution:
Using recursive formula Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 ,
F10 = F9 + F8 = 34 + 21 = 55
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

To find F25 and F30 , we use Binet’s formula.

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

To find F25 and F30 , we use Binet’s formula.

√ !25 √ !25
1+ 5 1− 5
−
2 2
F25 = √ = 75, 025
5
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

√ !30 √ !30
1+ 5 1− 5
−
2 2
F30 = √ = 832, 040
5
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Rachel Green holds a number that represents the 21st

Fibonacci number while Ross Geller holds the 20th and
22nd Fibonacci number. True or false: Rachel Green’s
number is just the difference of the 22nd and 20th
Fibonnacci number that Ross Geller holds.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Rachel Green holds a number that represents the 21st

Fibonacci number while Ross Geller holds the 20th and
22nd Fibonacci number. True or false: Rachel Green’s
number is just the difference of the 22nd and 20th
Fibonnacci number that Ross Geller holds.

Answer: True
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Rachel Green holds a number that represents the 21st

Fibonacci number while Ross Geller holds the 20th and
22nd Fibonacci number. True or false: Rachel Green’s
number is just the difference of the 22nd and 20th
Fibonnacci number that Ross Geller holds.

Answer: True
Note that F22 = F21 + F20 .
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Rachel Green holds a number that represents the 21st

Fibonacci number while Ross Geller holds the 20th and
22nd Fibonacci number. True or false: Rachel Green’s
number is just the difference of the 22nd and 20th
Fibonnacci number that Ross Geller holds.

Answer: True
Note that F22 = F21 + F20 .
Hence, we have, F21 = F22 − F20 .
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Example:

Rachel Green holds a number that represents the 21st

Fibonacci number while Ross Geller holds the 20th and
22nd Fibonacci number. True or false: Rachel Green’s
number is just the difference of the 22nd and 20th
Fibonnacci number that Ross Geller holds.

Answer: True
Note that F22 = F21 + F20 .
Hence, we have, F21 = F22 − F20 .
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Fibonacci numbers appear everywhere – from the leaf and

flower arrangement in plants, to the animal skin, to the scales
of pineapples, and many others.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Fibonacci numbers appear everywhere – from the leaf and

flower arrangement in plants, to the animal skin, to the scales
of pineapples, and many others.
The Fibonacci numbers can be found in the growth of living
things and in human beings.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

In certain species, there are 21 spirals in clockwise direction

and 34 spirals in the counterclockwise direction.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

In certain species, there are 21 spirals in clockwise direction

and 34 spirals in the counterclockwise direction.
Depending on the species, you can count 34 and 55, or 55 and
89, or 89 and 144.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

In certain species, there are 21 spirals in clockwise direction

and 34 spirals in the counterclockwise direction.
Depending on the species, you can count 34 and 55, or 55 and
89, or 89 and 144.
This arrangement keeps the seeds uniformly packed no matter
how large the seed head is.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

In certain species, there are 21 spirals in clockwise direction

and 34 spirals in the counterclockwise direction.
Depending on the species, you can count 34 and 55, or 55 and
89, or 89 and 144.
This arrangement keeps the seeds uniformly packed no matter
how large the seed head is.
Note: 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 are the 8th-12th Fibonacci numbers.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Sneezewort
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Sneezewort
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Golden Ratio

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Golden Ratio

The value approached by dividing two consecutive

Fibonaccie numbers,
BiggerFn
SmallerFn
is called the Golden Ratio.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Golden Ratio

The value approached by dividing two consecutive

Fibonaccie numbers,
BiggerFn
SmallerFn
is called the Golden Ratio.

Golden ratio is symbolized by the Greek letter Phi φ

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Golden Ratio

The value approached by dividing two consecutive

Fibonaccie numbers,
BiggerFn
SmallerFn
is called the Golden Ratio.

Golden ratio is symbolized by the Greek letter Phi φ

φ ≈ 1.6180339887
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

x x+y
= = φ ≈ 1.6180339887...
y x
Patterns in Nature and Numbers
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Fn
→ 1.6180339887...
Fn−1
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Golden Ratio
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Golden Ratio
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Golden Ratio
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Golden Ratio
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Golden Ratio is seen all over the human body.

Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Golden Ratio is seen all over the human body.

This can be verified by measuring some parts of human

body: length of the arm, height, and the distance of finger
tips to the elbow.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

The Golden Ratio is seen all over the human body.

This can be verified by measuring some parts of human

body: length of the arm, height, and the distance of finger
tips to the elbow.

According to Markowsky (1992), ”the ratio of the person’s

height to the height of his navel is roughly the golden ratio”
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Another name of the golden ratio is divine proportion.

This must be so because human beauty is based on divine
proportion.
Patterns in Nature and Numbers

Another name of the golden ratio is divine proportion.

This must be so because human beauty is based on divine
proportion.