Fibonacci Sequence

 Named after Fibonacci, also known as Leonardo Pisano because he was born in Pisa, Italy
in 1175.
 The Fibonacci Sequence is a series of numbers where a number is obtained by adding the
two terms before it. Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, …
 Written as a rule, the expression xn = xn-1 + xn-2.

Fibonacci in Nature

Fibonacci numbers do actually appear in nature, from sunflowers to hurricanes to galaxies.

Fibonacci Spiral

 A series of connected quarter circles drawn inside an array of squares with Fibonacci
numbers for dimensions.
 Any two successive Fibonacci numbers have ratio very close to the Golden Ratio, which
is roughly 1.618034.
Golden Ratio
 The golden ratio is denoted by the Greek letter phi (Ø).
 It is a special number found by dividing a line into two parts so that the longer part
divided by the smaller part is also equal to the whole length divided by the longer part.

A. Fibonacci in Plants
1. Flower Petals

The number of petals in a flower consistently follows the Fibonacci sequence. Famous
examples include the lily, which has 3 petals, buttercups, which have 5 petals, the
chicory’s 21, the daisy’s 34 and so on.

2. Seed Heads
The head of a flower is also subject to Fibonaccian process. Typically seeds are produced
at the center and then migrate towards the outside to fill all the space. Sunflowers
provided a great example of these spiraling patterns.
3. Pinecones
The spiral pattern of the seed pods spiral upward in opposite directions. The number of
steps the spirals take tend to match Fibonacci numbers.

4. Pineapples
Likewise, similar spiraling patterns can be found on pineapples and cauliflower.
Pineapples also have spirals formed by their hexagonal nubs. The nubs on many
pineapples formed eight spirals that rotate diagonally upward to the left and 13 spirals
that rotate diagonally upward to the right, again these are consecutive Fibonacci
numbers.

5. Tree Branches
The way tree branches form or split is an example of the Fibonacci sequence. A main
trunk will grow until it produces a branch, which creates two growth points. Then, one
of the new stems branches into two, while the other one lies dormant. This pattern of
branching is repeated for each of the new stems.
B. Fibonacci in Animals
1. Shells
Many shells including snail shells are perfect examples of the Golden spiral. It can result
in a nesting process that can be repeated into infinity – and which takes on the form of a
spiral.

2. Animal Bodies
Animal bodies such dolphins, star fish, sea urchins, ants and honeybees.
C. Fibonacci in Humans
1. Face and Body Parts
Faces, both human and nonhuman, abound with examples of the Golden Ratio. The mouth
and nose are each positioned at olden sections of the distance between the eyes and the
bottom of the chin. It’s worth noting that every person’s body is different, but that
averages across populations tend towards phi. T has also been said that the more closely
our proportions adhere to phi the more “attractive” those traits are perceived.
Exercises
I. Golden Ratio

1. Kurt paints segments of his scenery piece in 5 cm by 8.09017 cm grids. Will his
painting likely appeal to people?
2. Jessica needs to send her picture with a frame in a size of a golden rectangle. If the
width of the frame is 1 foot long. What should be the perimeter and area of the frame?
3. Using a ruler, measure the length of your hand and distance from your wrist to your
elbow in cm. Do you think you have a good proportion?

a. Length of your hand = _____________________

4. Consider the quadratic equation 3x2 + 8x + 5 = 0, find the two solutions of the given
quadratic equation rounded off to five decimal places. Is the sum of the two solutions
equal to 1? Is the reciprocal of the bigger number equal to the decimal part of the
solution?

II. Fibonacci Sequence

1. Lucas numbers are obtained just like Fibonacci numbers. Each term is obtained by
adding two immediate previous terms except that the first two terms are 2 and 1.
Thus, the Lucas sequence starts as 2, 1, 3, 4,….

a. Give the first fifteen term of the Lucas sequence

2. Given: F30 = 832, 040 and F28 = 317, 811, find F31 and F27.
3. Using Binet’s Formula, find F37 and F41.
4. Express the following as sum of Fibonacci numbers such that no number is used more
than once.

a. 111
b. 123

5. Fact: If we make a list of any four consecutive Fibonacci numbers, the first term times
the fourth term is always equal to the square of the third term minus the square of
the second term. Verify this for the list F8, F9, F10 and F11.
6. Fact: If we make a list of any ten consecutive Fibonacci numbers, the sum of these
numbers divided by 11 is always equal to the seventh number on the list. Verify this
fact for the list F1, F2, F3, …, F10.