Fibonacci Sequence in Nature

Name: Leonardo Bonacci

Popularly known as FIBONACCI
Also known as . . .
Leonardo of Pisa
Leonardo Pisano Bigollo
Leonardo Fibonacci

Most talented
Born: 1170, Pisa, Italy mathematician of
Died: 1250, Pisa, Italy the middle ages
In 1202, Fibonacci wrote a very famous book
“Liber abaci” to describe mathematics he learned.

If two new be in the

rabbits are pen after
put in a pen, one year?
How many
rabbits will
 “If 2 new born rabbits are put in a
pen, how many rabbits will be in
the pen after one year?”
Assume that rabbits...
... always produce one male and one female offspring
. ... can reproduce once every month.
... can reproduce when they are one month old.
... never die!

Your Task: Create an illustration (tree diagram, table, flowchart, etc) on how
the rabbit population expanded over a year.
Fibonacci Sequence
 Fibonacci Sequence

The sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, …
is called the Fibonacci sequence and its terms the Fibonacci
numbers.

Copyright 2018: Mathematics in the Modern World by Winston S. Sirug, Ph.D.

How do we determine the next value in the sequence
Finding the nth Term in a Fibonacci Sequence

Example 1:
If the 16th Fibonacci number is 987, and the 18th Fibonacci is 2584 , determine
17th Fibonacci number.
Example 2:
If the 25th Fibonacci number is 75025, and the 26th Fibonacci is 121393 ,
determine 24th Fibonacci number.

Example 3:
If the 12th Fibonacci number is 144, and the 14th Fibonacci is 377 , determine 15th
Fibonacci number.
We can find many instances of mathematical order
involving the Fibonacci numbers in nature. Some of
these patterns which appear in different natural
creations can be modelled mathematically. So, let us
start looking for the patterns.
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/fibslide/fib00.jpg
The Fibonacci sequence in plants

Count the number of branches per generation.

 Flower Petals
Flower petals exhibit the Fibonacci number:
White calla lily contains 1 petal
Euphorbia contains 2 petals
Trillium contains 3 petals
Columbine contains 5 petals

Copyright 2018: Mathematics in the Modern World by Winston S. Sirug, Ph.D.

 Flower Petals
Flower petals exhibit the Fibonacci number:
Bloodroot contains 8 petals
Black-eyed susan contains 13 petals
Sasha daisy contains 21 petals
Field daisies contains 34, and other types of daisies contain
55, and 89 petals.

Copyright 2018: Mathematics in the Modern World by Winston S. Sirug, Ph.D.

Fruits

A banana has 3 sections

An apple has 5 sections
Fabulous Fibonacci: http://fabulousfibonacci.blogspot.com/
 Sunflower

The sunflower seed conveys

the Fibonacci sequence.
The pattern of two spirals
goes in opposing directions
(clockwise and
counterclockwise).
The no. of clockwise spirals
and counterclockwise
spirals are consecutive
Fibonacci numbers and
usually contains 34 and 55
seeds.

Copyright 2018: Mathematics in the Modern World by Winston S. Sirug, Ph.D.

 Pineapple Spirals
Pineapple spirals
formed by their
hexagonal nubs.

The nubs on form 5

spirals and 8 spirals, or
8 spirals and 13 spirals
that rotate diagonally
upward to the right
depending on the size
of the pineapple.

The numbers 5, 8, and

13 are Fibonacci
numbers.

Copyright 2018: Mathematics in the Modern World by Winston S. Sirug, Ph.D.

 Pine Cone Spirals

Pine cone
spirals from
the center
have 5 arms
and 8 arms, or
8 arms and 13
arms,
depending on
the size, which
again two
Fibonacci
numbers.

Copyright 2018: Mathematics in the Modern World by Winston S. Sirug, Ph.D.

The Fibonacci SURPRISES!
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, . . .

What can you say about every third term?

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, . . .

What can you say about every fourth term?

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, . . .

What can you say about every fifth term?

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, . . .

Try adding together any three consecutive Fibonacci numbers.

What do you notice? Can you explain it?
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, . . .

Choose any four consecutive Fibonacci numbers. Add the first and
last, and divide by two. What do you notice? Can you explain it?
➢ The Fibonacci numbers occur in the sums of
"shallow" diagonals in Pascal's triangle
 Golden Rectangle

The Fibonacci numbers can be applied to the

proportions of a rectangle, called the Golden
rectangle.

Golden Rectangle is known as one of the most visually

satisfying of all geometric forms – hence, the
appearance of the Golden ratio in art.

Copyright 2018: Mathematics in the Modern World by Winston S. Sirug, Ph.D.

A golden rectangle can be
broken into squares the size of
the next Fibonacci number down
and below.

Starting with one square tile then another, together they form a 1 x 2
rectangle. On top of this rectangle, we construct a 2 x 2 square, beneath
that a 5 x 5 square. If we continue to do this and connect opposing
diagonals continuously it will reveal a Fibonacci spiral. This spiral could be
seen a lot in nature, architecture , arts , human body and beyond.
 The Golden rectangle is also related to the Golden
spiral, which is created by making adjacent squares of
Fibonacci dimensions.

Fibonacci spiral –
Take a golden rectangle, break it
down into smaller squares based
from Fibonacci sequence and
divide each with an arc.
Golden Ratio
If we are going to divide the two dimensions 13 and 8, notice that it is just
like dividing two consecutive Fibonacci numbers. Doing this to the highest
possible pair of Fibonacci numbers will give us the GOLDEN RATIO. The
golden ratio is approximately equal to 1.618 represented by the Greek letter
Phi ( 𝜑 ).

Property of Golden Ratio

𝑎 𝑎+𝑏
= = 𝜑 = 1.618
𝑏 𝑎
Golden Ratio

Luca Pacioli found the relationship between

Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio.

The golden ratio was first called as the Divine

Proportion in the early 1500s in Leonardo da
Vinci’s work and was explored by Luca Pacioli
(Italian mathematician) entitled “De Devina
Proportione” in 1509.

Da Vinci’s drawings of the five platonic solids

and it was probably da Vinci who first called it
the “section aurea” Latin for Golden Section.
1.6180339887
ACTIVITY 1
Answer the following:
1. How many pairs of rabbits are there at the
a. end of 4 month?
b. beginning of the 6th month?
2. How many pairs of baby rabbits are there
a. at the end of the 12th month?
b. on the 12th month
3. If you have a wooden board that is 0.75 meter wide, how
long should you cut it such that the golden ratio is observed?
Use 1.618 as the value of the golden ratio.