Golden ratio

The golden section is a line segment divided according to the golden ratio: The total length a + b is to the longer segment a as a is to the shorter segment b. In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to (=) the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The golden ratio is an irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.6180339887. Other names frequently used for the golden ratio are the golden section (Latin: sectio aurea) and golden mean. Other terms encountered include extreme and mean ratio, medial section, divine proportion, divine section (Latin: sectio divina), golden proportion, golden cut, golden number, and mean of Phidias. The golden ratio is often denoted by the Greek letter phi, usually lower case (). The figure on the right illustrates the geometric relationship that defines this constant. Expressed algebraically:

This equation has as its unique positive solution the algebraic irrational number

[1]

At least since the Renaissance, many artists and architects have proportioned their works to approximate the golden ratioespecially in the form of the golden rectangle, in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter is the golden ratio believing this proportion to be aesthetically pleasing. Mathematicians have studied the golden ratio because of its unique and interesting properties. What is the Golden Ratio? The Golden Ratio is a unique number, approximately 1.618033989. It is also known as the Divine Ratio, the Golden Mean, the Golden Number, and the Golden Section. Its unique mathematical properties have resulted in a very long and influential history.

What is the Fibonacci Sequence of Numbers? The Fibonacci numbers are a unique sequence of integers, starting with 1, where each element is the sum of the two previous numbers. For example: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, etc. Relationship Between the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio The Fibonacci Sequence is an infinite sequence, which means it goes on for ever, and as it develops, the ratio of the consecutive terms converges (becomes closer) to the Golden Ratio, ~1.618. For example, to find the ratio of any two successive numbers, take the latter number and divide by the former. So, we will have: 1/1=1, 2/1=2, 3/2=1.5, 5/3=1.66, 8/5=1.6, 13/8=1.625, 21/13=1.615. The History of the Golden Ratio Phi (Golden Ratio) as a mysterious number has been discovered in many places, such as art, architectures, humans, and plants. You might wonder where and when Phi first appeared? Who was the discoverer? According the history of mathematics, Phi was first understood and used by the ancient mathematicians in Egypt, two to three thousand years ago, due to its frequent appearance in Geometry. Phidias (500BC-432 BC), a Greek sculptor and mathematician, studied Phi and used the Phi in many designs of his sculptures, such as the statue of the goddess Athena in Athena, and the state of god Zeus in Olympiad. And Euclid Alexandria (365BC300BC) had once described the Phi as "dividing a line in the extreme and mean ratio" in his Book VI of Elements. The name " Golden Ratio" appears in the form sectio aurea (Golden Section in Greek) by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) who used this the Golden ratio in many of his masterpieces, such as The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. In 1900s, an Maerican mathematician named Mark Barr, represented the Golden Ratio by using a greek symbol . The Golden Ratio and Beauty in Nature Plant Growth What kind of relationship do Fibonacci Numbers and plants have? The process of the growing plant follows the Fibonacci numbers, from the first shoot, to the two shoots, three shoots, and five shoots, and eight shoots, and on and on. The branching rates in plants occur in the Fibonacci pattern, where the first level has one "branching" (the trunk), the second has two branches, than 3, 5, 8, 13 and so on. Also, the spacing of leaves around each branch or stalk spirals with respect to the Golden Ratio.

Flowers On the back of the passiflora incarnate, the 3 sepals (the part of the flower that is not the petal) that protected the bud are outermost, followed by the 5 outer green petals and an inner layer of 5 more paler green petals. In the front, 5 greenish, Tshaped stamens are gathered in the center, followed by the 3 deep brown carpels and styvle branches. Petal Counts The petals of the different flowers also contain the Fibonacci Numbers. The examples are that the buttercup has 5 petals, delphiniums has 8 petals, ragwort has 13 petals, aster as 21 petals, plantain has 34 petals, and asteraceae family has 55 petals, and some of them have 89 petals. The Golden Ratio and Beauty in Architecture The Golden Ratio has appeared in ancient architecture. The examples are many, such as the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt which is considered one of the Seven World Wonders of the ancient world, and the Greek Parthenon that was constructed between 447 and 472BC. Not only did the ancient Egyptians and Greeks know about the magic of Golden Ratio, so did the Renaissance artists, who used the Golden Ratio in the design of Notre Dame in between the 12th and 14th centuries. Some modern architecture are also influenced by Golden Ratio as well, such as the United Nations Building. The origins of the divine proportion In the Elements, the most influential mathematics textbook ever written, Euclid of Alexandria (ca. 300 BC) defines a proportion derived from a division of a line into what he calls its "extreme and mean ratio." Euclid's definition reads: A straight line is said to have been cut in extreme and mean ratio when, as the whole line is to the greater segment, so is the greater to the lesser. In other words, in the diagram below, point C divides the line in such a way that the ratio of AC to CB is equal to the ratio of AB to AC. Some elementary algebra shows that in this case the ratio of AC to CB is equal to the irrational number 1.618 (precisely half the sum of 1 and the square root of 5).

C divides the line segment AB according to the Golden Ratio

In mathematical terms, the sequence Fn of Fibonacci numbers is defined by the recurrence relation

with seed values

Fibonacci's Rabbits The original problem that Fibonacci investigated (in the year 1202) was about how fast rabbits could breed in ideal circumstances. 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 our rabbits never die and that the female always produces one new pair (one male, one female) every month from the second month on. The puzzle that Fibonacci posed was... How many pairs will there be in one year?

1. At the end of the first month, they mate, but there is still one only 1 pair. 2. At the end of the second month the female produces a new pair, so now there are 2 pairs of rabbits in the field. 3. At the end of the third month, the original female produces a second pair, making 3 pairs in all in the field. 4. At the end of the fourth month, the original female has produced yet another new pair, the female born two months ago produces her first pair also, making 5 pairs.

The number of pairs of rabbits in the field at the start of each month is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ... Can you see how the series is formed and how it continues? If not, look at the answer! The first 300 Fibonacci numbers are here and some questions for you to answer. Now can you see why this is the answer to our Rabbits problem? If not, here's why. Another view of the Rabbit's Family Tree:

Both diagrams above represent the same information. Rabbits have been numbered to enable comparisons and to count them, as follows: All the rabbits born in the same month are of the same generation and are on the same level in the tree. The rabbits have been uniquely numbered so that in the same generation the new rabbits are numbered in the order of their parent's number. Thus 5, 6 and 7 are the children of 0, 1 and 2 respectively.

The rabbits labelled with a Fibonacci number are the children of the original rabbit (0) at the top of the tree. There are a Fibonacci number of new rabbits in each generation, marked with a dot. There are a Fibonacci number of rabbits in total from the top down to any single generation. There are many other interesting mathematical properties of this tree that are explored in later pages at this site. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987 ..More..

The Rabbits problem is not very realistic, is it? It seems to imply that brother and sisters mate, which, genetically, leads to problems. We can get round this by saying that the female of each pair mates with any male and produces another pair. Another problem which again is not true to life, is that each birth is of exactly two rabbits, one male and one female.