1. Discovering Fibonacci
By:
William Page
Pikes Peak Community College

2. Who Was Fibonacci? ~ Born in Pisa, Italy in 1175 AD
~ Full name was Leonardo of Pisa
~ means son of Bonaccio
~ Grew up with a North African education under the Moors
~ Traveled extensively around the Mediterranean coast
~ Met with many merchants and learned their systems of arithmetic
~ Realized the advantages of the Hindu-Arabic system

3. Fibonacci’s Mathematical Contributions
~ Introduced the Hindu-Arabic number system into Europe
~ Based on ten digits and a decimal point
~ Europe previously used the Roman number system
~ Consisted of Roman numerals
~ Persuaded mathematicians to use the Hindu-Arabic number system
I = 1
V = 5
X = 10
L = 50
C = 100
D = 500
M = 1000
and .

4. Fibonacci’s Mathematical Contributions Continued
~ Wrote five mathematical works
~ Four books and one preserved letter
~ Liber Abbaci (The Book of Calculating) written in 1202
~ Practica geometriae (Practical Geometry) written in 1220
~ Flos written in 1225
~ Liber quadratorum (The Book of Squares) written in 1225
~ A letter to Master Theodorus written around 1225

5. Fibonacci’s Rabbits Problem:
Suppose a newly-born pair of rabbits (one male, one female) are put in a field. Rabbits are able to mate at the age of one month so that at the end of its second month, a female can produce another pair of rabbits. Suppose that the rabbits never die and that the female always produces one new pair (one male, one female) every month from the second month on. How many pairs will there be in one year?

6. The Fibonacci Numbers ~ Were introduced in The Book of Calculating
~ Series begins with 0 and 1
~ Next number is found by adding the last two numbers together
~ Number obtained is the next number in the series
~ A linear recurrence formula
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, …
Fn = Fn Fn-2

7. Fibonacci’s Rabbits Continued
~ End of the first month = 1 pair
~ End of the second month = 2 pair
~ End of the third month = 3 pair
~ End of the fourth month = 5 pair
~ 243 pairs of rabbits produced in one year
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, …

8. The Fibonacci Numbers in Pascal’s Triangle
~ Entry is sum of the two numbers either side of it, but in the row above
~ Diagonal sums in Pascal’s Triangle are the Fibonacci numbers
~ Fibonacci numbers can also be found using a formula n ( ) 1 1
1 1
n – k
k – 1
Fib(n) =
k =1

10. The Fibonacci Numbers and Pythagorean Triangles
~ The Fibonacci numbers can be used to generate Pythagorean triangles
~ First side of Pythagorean triangle = 12
~ Second side of Pythagorean triangle = 5
~ Third side of Pythagorean triangle = 13
~ Fibonacci numbers 1, 2, 3, 5 produce Pythagorean triangle 5, 12, 13
a b a + b a + 2b

11. The Golden Section and The Fibonacci Numbers
~ The Fibonacci numbers arise from the golden section
~ The graph shows a line whose gradient is Phi
~ First point close to the line is (0, 1)
~ Second point close to the line is (1, 2)
~ Third point close to the line is (2, 3)
~ Fourth point close to the line is (3, 5)
~ The coordinates are successive Fibonacci numbers

12. The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
Pinecones clearly show the Fibonacci spiral 5 and 8, 8 and 13

14. A pineapple may have 5, 8, or 13 segment spirals depending on direction

16. Daisies have 21 and 34 spirals

17. Coneflower 55 spirals

18. Sunflower 55 and 89 spirals

19. Pine Cones, Pineapples, etc.
How many spirals are there on a
Pine cone ? 5 and 8 , 8 and 13
Pineapple ? 8 and 13
Daisy ? 21 and 34
Sunflower ? 55 and 89

20. Put these numbers together and you get: 5…8…13…21…34…55…89 Is there a pattern here?

21. The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Continued
~ Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica) shows the Fibonacci numbers

23. The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Number of petals in flowers
Lilies and irises = 3 petals
Buttercups and wild roses = 5 petals
Delphiniums 8 petals
Asters 21 petals
Very few plants show 4 petals which is not a Fibonacci number!
Corn marigolds = 13 petals
Black-eyed Susan’s = 21 petals

24. What are the ratios of consecutive Fibs. 1/1 = 1 2/1 = 2 3/2 = 1

25. The Golden Section and The Fibonacci Numbers Continued
~ The golden section arises from the Fibonacci numbers
~ Obtained by taking the ratio of successive terms in the Fibonacci series
~ Limit is the positive root of a quadratic equation and is called the golden section

26. The Golden Section ~ Represented by the Greek letter Phi
~ Phi equals ± … and ± …
~ Ratio of Phi is 1 : or : 1
~ Mathematical definition is Phi2 = Phi + 1
~ Euclid showed how to find the golden section of a line b a
b + a

27. The Golden Rectangle
a + b b a

28. A METHOD TO CONSTRUCT A GOLDEN RECTANGLE
Construct a square 1 x 1 ( in red)
Draw a line from the midpoint to the upper
opposite corner.
Use that line as the radius to draw an arc
that defines the height of the rectangle.
The resulting dimensions are the Golden
Rectangle.

29. The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Continued
~ Plants show the Fibonacci numbers in the arrangements of their leaves
~ Three clockwise rotations, passing five leaves
~ Two counter-clockwise rotations

30. The Golden Section in Nature
~ Arrangements of leaves are the same as for seeds and petals
~ All are placed at per turn
~ Is of 360o which is 222.5o
~ One sees the smaller angle of 137.5o
~ Plants seem to produce their leaves, petals, and seeds based upon the golden section

31. Placement of seeds and leaves
A single fixed angle for leaf or seed placement can produce an optimum design
Provide best possible exposure for light, rainfall, exposure for insects for pollination
Fibonacci numbers occur when counting the number of turns around the stem from a leaf to the next one directly above it as well as counting leaves till we meet another one directly above the starting leaf.
Phi leaves per turn or turns per leaf x 360 = degrees or ( ) x 360 = degrees

32. The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature Continued
~ The Fibonacci numbers can be found in the human hand and fingers
~ Person has 2 hands, which contain 5 fingers
~ Each finger has 3 parts separated by 2 knuckles

33. At one time it was thought that many people have a ratio between the largest to middle bone, and the middle to the shortest finger bone of
This is actually the case for only 1 in 12 people.

35. Leonardo Da Vinci self portrait

36. The Vetruvian Man “Man of Action” Full of Golden Rectangles:
Head, Torso, Legs

37. Ratio of Distance from
feet – midtorso- head
Is 1.618

41. Madonna of the Rocks This artwork uses the “Golden Triangle”
A Golden triangle is an isosceles triangle
In which the smaller side( base) is in
golden ratio ( 1.618) with its adjacent side.

42. Notre Dame Cathedral
Paris

43. The Golden Section in Architecture
~ Golden section appears in many of the proportions of the Parthenon in Greece
~ Front elevation is built on the golden section (0.618 times as wide as it is tall)

45. The Golden Section in Architecture Continued
~ Golden section can be found in the Great pyramid in Egypt
~ Perimeter of the pyramid, divided by twice its vertical height is the value of Phi

48. A METHOD TO CONSTRUCT A GOLDEN RECTANGLE
Construct a square 1 x 1 ( in red)
Draw a line from the midpoint to the upper
opposite corner.
Use that line as the radius to draw an arc
that defines the height of the rectangle.
The resulting dimensions are the Golden
Rectangle.

49. As the dimensions get larger and larger, the quotients converge to the Golden ration 1.61803

50. Golden Spiral

51. The Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
~ Fibonacci spiral found in both snail and sea shells

61. Phi as a continued fraction
Phi is a famous irrational number that can be defined in terms of itself. It is a continued fraction.
Continued fractions were developed or discovered in part as a response to a need to approximate irrational numbers.
So …………

62. Let’s list 10 Fibonacci numbers in a column
I wont watch
When you get to the 10ht one tell me
I will turn around and you will start to calculate the sum
using a calculator
I will get the sum faster than you will!!

63. Quick calculation of sum of 10 Fibonacci Numbers
b The sum of 10 Fibonacci numbers is
a b 55a + 88b. The 7th sum is 5a + 8b. By
a b multiplying the 7th sum by 11, you get the
2a + 3b total sum for the column of 10 numbers.
3a + 5b
5a + 8b
8a + 13b
13a + 21b
21a + 34b
55a + 88 b

64. bill.page@ppcc.edu THE END, THANKS!
“Without mathematics there is no art” Luca Pacioli
THE END, THANKS!