Fibonacci Numbers In Nature
Dr M R Yadav
The Fibonacci Problem
How Many Pairs of Rabbits Are
Created by One Pair in One Year
A certain man had one pair of rabbits
together in a certain enclosed place,
and one wishes to know how many are
created from the pair in one year when
it is the nature of them in a single
month to bear another pair, and in the
second month those born to bear also.
Fig. 2-69, p. 113
Fig. 2-70, p. 114
• The solution to this question is shown in
the table below.
• The sequence that appears three times in
the table, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, … is called
the Fibonacci sequence.
The Fibonacci sequence is the sequence
of numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …
• The Fibonacci sequence is found in many
places in nature.
• Any number in the sequence is called a
Fibonacci number.
• The sequence is usually written
F1, F2, F3, …, Fn, …
• For the Fibonacci sequence, the starting
values are F1 = 1 and F2 = 1.
• The recursion rule for the Fibonacci
sequence is:
Fn Fn1 Fn2
• Example: Find the third number in the
sequence using the formula.
• Let n = 3.
F3 F31 F32 F2 F1 1 1 2
Another Version
Suppose a tree starts from one shoot that
grows for two months and then sprouts a
second branch. If each established branch
begins to sprout a new branch after one
month’s growth, and if every new branch
begins to sprout its own first new branch
after two month’s growth, how many
branches does the tree have at the end of
the year?
Solution: The number of branches each
month in the first year is given in the
table and drawn in the figure below.
Fibonacci Numbers In Nature
• The Fibonacci numbers are found many
places in the natural world, including:
• The number of flower petals.
• The branching behavior of plants.
• The growth patterns of sunflowers and
pinecones, ……
• It is believed that the spiral nature of plant
growth accounts for this phenomenon.
The number of petals on a flower are
often Fibonacci numbers.
Fibonacci Numbers In Nature, cont’d
• Plants grow in a spiral pattern. The ratio of the
number of spirals to the number of branches is
called the phyllotactic ratio.
• The numbers in the phyllotactic ratio are usually
Fibonacci numbers.
Fibonacci Numbers In Nature, cont’d
Mature sunflowers have one set of spirals
going clockwise and another set going
counterclockwise.
The numbers of spirals in each set are
usually a pair of adjacent Fibonacci
numbers.
The most common number of spirals is 34
and 55.
The generating function for the Fibonacci
numbers is
Pascal Triangle
The Golden Ratio
• Consider the ratios of pairs of
consecutive Fibonacci numbers.
• Some of the ratios are calculated in the
table shown on the following slide.
The Golden Ratio, cont’d
The Golden Ratio, cont’d
The ratios of pairs of consecutive
Fibonacci numbers are also represented
in the graph below.
The ratios approach the dashed line which
represents a number around 1.618.
The Golden Ratio, cont’d
• The irrational number, approximately
1.618, is called the golden ratio.
• Other names for the golden ratio
include the golden section, the golden
mean, and the divine proportion.
• The golden ratio is represented by the
Greek letter φ, which is pronounced
“fe” or “fi”.
The Golden Ratio, cont’d
• The golden ratio has an exact value of
1 5
2
• The golden ratio has been used in
mathematics, art, and architecture for
more than 2000 years.
Dr M R Yadav
