The Nature of Fibonacci
Numbers
An exploration into the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.
Sequences, what are they?
A sequence is a list of numbers that follow a pattern.
• Example of sequences:
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, …
• Pattern: Add 1
• 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,…
• Pattern: Add 2
• 5, 10, 15, 20, 25,…
• Pattern: Add 5
• 1, 0, 1, 0, 1,…
• Pattern: alternating between 1 and 0
• 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,…
• Pattern: Add the two previous numbers together
A Special Sequence
Notice that 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,… follows a slightly different
pattern than the others. This is because it is a recursive sequence!
You might have heard of a recursive sequence before in your math
class.
Each number in a recursive sequence is determined by using one
or more of the previous numbers in the sequence.
Making a Recursive Sequence
We can make a recursive sequence by first picking some numbers to start the
sequence.
For 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, … we pick 0 and 1 as our first numbers
The third number is determined by adding these two numbers together:
0+1=1
The fourth number is determined the same way, now using the second and
third numbers:
1+1=2
Fibonacci Sequence
You have just figured out the first few numbers in what’s called the
Fibonacci sequence!
This is a special recursive sequence with the pattern that each number
is determined by adding the two previous numbers together.
Use the worksheet to determine the first 13 numbers in the sequence:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144
Fibonacci Sequence
The numbers in this sequence are called the
Fibonacci numbers and two values next to each
other (for example, 8 and 13) are called a Fibonacci
pair.
The Fibonacci sequence is named after a 13th
century Italian mathematician named Fibonacci.
He wasn’t the first to discover the sequence
though, as the Fibonacci numbers were first
described in Indian mathematics at around
Leonardo Fibonacci
200 BC by Pingala.
Fibonacci in the Wild
Fibonacci numbers show up in a lot of unexpected places, such as
nature!
Fibonacci in the Wild
Fibonacci numbers show up in a lot of unexpected places, such as
nature!
Let’s look at the spirals made by the spines of a pineapple.
Fibonacci in the Wild
Fibonacci numbers show up in a lot of unexpected places, such as
nature!
Let’s look at the spirals made by the spines of a pineapple.
How many spirals are going to the left? 8
How many spirals are going to the right? 13
Do you notice anything interesting about the number of
spirals rotating to the left and the number of spirals
rotating to the right?
They’re a Fibonacci pair!
Fibonacci in the Wild – Try it!
Pinecones also have spirals like pineapples. If you count the number of
spirals going left and right on a pinecone, what do you find?
• How many spirals are going to the left?
• How many spirals are going to the right?
Do you notice anything interesting about the number of spirals rotating
to the left and the number of spirals rotating to the right?
Fibonacci in the Wild – Try it!
Pinecones also have spirals like pineapples. If you count the number of
spirals going left and right on a pinecone, what do you find?
• How many spirals are going to the left?
• How many spirals are going to the right?
Do you notice anything interesting about the number of spirals rotating
to the left and the number of spirals rotating to the right?
They’re a Fibonacci pair!
The Golden Ratio
Let’s look for other patterns
in numbers.
Ex: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,…
One thing to do with
sequences is to take the ratio 2÷1=2
of two consecutive numbers 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5
in the sequence to see if 4 ÷ 3 = 1.333333
there are any trends. Time to get
out our
calculators!
The Golden Ratio
The ratio of two sequential numbers could be "approaching" a number.
For 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, … what is the ratio approaching?
6÷5 = 1.2
2÷1 = 2
7÷6 = 1.167
3÷2 = 1.5
⋮
4÷3 = 1.333
101 ÷ 100 = 1.01
5÷4 = 1.25
102 ÷ 101 = 1.00990
The ratio is approaching 1
The Golden Ratio
Now let’s look at the ratios in the Fibonacci sequence:
Recall the first 13 numbers
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144
1÷1 = 1 21 ÷ 13 = 1.615
2÷1 = 2 34 ÷ 21 = 1.619
3÷2 = 1.5 55 ÷ 34 = 1.618
5÷3 = 1.667 89 ÷ 55 = 1.618
8÷5 = 1.6 144 ÷ 89 = 1.618
13 ÷ 8 = 1.625
The Golden Ratio
Do you think the sequence is approaching a number? If so, what
number is it approaching?
It is approaching 1.6180339…
We call this number the
This is what’s called an irrational number, since the digits in the
decimal places never end or create any repeating patterns
The Golden Ratio in Art and Architecture
The Golden Ratio appears in the proportions of various works of
architecture and art because it is often visually appealing
Also used in photo dimensions
• 2x3in
• 3x5in
Notice the spiral
pattern that occurs
when the Golden Ratio
is used throughout the
image!
The Fibonacci Spiral
This spiral shape also appears a lot in art and nature
Spiral aloe
Shell
Fern leaf
Be Creative!
We can visualize the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio by
drawing squares with side lengths corresponding to the sequence and
then drawing a spiral through them!
Craft! Now make your own Fibonacci spiral using graph paper!
Inspiration!
