Introduction

Math was invented by little something called nature and its everywhere you look. In fact, there are
specific numbers that we see in nature all the time, together they are called the fibonacci sequence and
it goes like this 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55...

Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where a number is found by adding up the two numbers
before it. You start with the numbers 0 and 1, and from that point you keep adding up the last two
numbers. Written as a rule, the expression is: Xn = Xn-1 +X n-2.

Developed by a 13th century mathemacian named Leonardo of Pisa also known as Fibonacci. He was
born in the year 1170 (approximately) in Pisa and died in the year 1250. He is considered to be one of
the most talented mathemacians of the Middle Ages. Few people realized that it was Fibanacci who
gave us our decimal number system (Hindu-Arabic numbering system) which replaced the roman
numeral system. When he was studying mathematics, he used the Hindu-Arabic (0-9) symbols instead of
Roman symbols which didn't have 0's and lacked place value. He shows how to use our current
numbering system in his book Liber Abaci. The main purpose of this book was to encourage everyone to
abandon Roman numerals and use the Indian system of numbers.

FIBONACCI RABBITS

The Fibonacci is named after the mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci who stumbled across it in the
12th century while contemplating a curious problem. Fibonacci started with a pair of fictional and slightly
unbelievable baby rabbits, a baby boy rabbit and a baby girl rabbit.

They were fully grown after one month

and did what rabbits do best, so that the next month two more baby rabbits (again a boy and a girl) were
born.
The next month these babies were fully grown and the first pair had two more baby rabbits (again, handily a
boy and a girl).

Ignoring problems of in-breeding, the next month the two adult pairs each have a pair of baby rabbits and
the babies from last month mature.

Fibonacci asked how many rabbits a single pair can produce after a year with this highly unbelievable
breeding process (rabbits never die, every month each adult pair produces a mixed pair of baby rabbits who
mature the next month). He realised that the number of adult pairs in a given month is the total number of
rabbits (both adults and babies) in the previous month. Writing for the number of adult pairs in
the month and for the total number of pairs in the month, this gives

Fibonacci also realised that the number of baby pairs in a given month is the number of adult pairs in the
previous month. Writing for the number of baby pairs in the month, this gives

Therefore, the total number of pairs of rabbits (adult+baby) in a particular month is the sum of the total pairs
of rabbits in the previous two months:
Starting with one pair, the sequence we generate is exactly the sequence at the start of this article. And from
that we can see that after twelve months there will be pairs of rabbits.

FIBONACCI IN BOTANY

FIBONACCI NUMBERS: THE SCIENCE OF PLANTS

The magic numbers that make up a plant’s appearance

From the number of bumps and rings on a tree trunk to the

number of leaves and branches on a plant – the formation of
plants and natural forms might not be as accidental they
seem.

A special sequence of numbers, known as Fibonacci, unlocks a

secret code that could explain why so many of our favorite
plants appear the way they do.

THE MATHEMATICAL MAKE-UP OF PLANTS

Far from being some mystical code, these magic numbers play a functional role in plant growth –
ensuring they grow in the most efficient way possible.

Fibonacci numbers, for instance, can often be found in the arrangement of leaves around a stem. This
maximizes the space for each leaf and can be found in the closely packed leaves of succulents as well as
cabbages, which have a similar ‘golden spiral’ formation to the rose – another Fibonacci favorite.

In the case of leaf formation (also known as phyllotaxis), the Fibonacci rule is
not just about packing in the maximum number of leaves – it’s also thought
to help maximize sun exposure in some instances.

For similar reasons, branching plants also exhibit Fibonacci numbers,

providing the maximum space for the number of branches, while again
maximizing sun exposure.

CRACK THE CODE

Even tree trunks can display this hidden code. Some coniferous trees, for example, reveal Fibonacci
numbers in the bumps on their trunks while palm trees exhibit them in the trunk rings.

TWICE AS SPECIAL
Pinecones are also well known Fibonacci forms, displaying a double set of spirals – one going in a
clockwise direction and one in the opposite direction – similar to that of a sunflower head. When the
two sets of spirals are counted, they add up to adjacent Fibonacci numbers.
The Fibonacci Sequence In Artistic Composition
Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician in the late 11th and early 12th Century, credited with bringing the
Arabic numeral system to Europe and introducing the use of the number zero and the decimal place. His
name is today remembered for the Fibonacci Sequence; an integer sequence whereby each number is the
sum of the two preceding numbers:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 (and so on)

Although it may not seem obvious, there is a strong connection between this mathematical sequence and the
composition of artwork. By visualising each number as a square (increasing in size, in the same way as the
sequence) and connecting the opposite corners of each square, you can create the Fibonacci Spiral.

The Fibonacci Sequence is intimately connected with another mathematical construct, the Golden Ratio (two
quantities whose ratio is the same as the sum of the total to the larger ratio). If this is all getting a little
confusing, don’t fear, we shall now leave the numbers behind.The Golden Ratio is sometimes called the
Divine Ratio. Mathematicians found that it was abundant in nature, in places as diverse as the proportions of
the human face, the flowering of an artichoke, and the ancestry of the ideal bee.

Artists recognised that the Fibonacci Spiral is an expression of an aesthetically pleasing principle – the Rule of
Thirds. This is used in the composition of a picture; by balancing the features of the image by thirds, rather
than strictly centring them, a more pleasing flow to the picture is achieved.

From the Renaissance onwards, artists have – whether purposefully or simply by instinct – created dramatic
and attractive paintings which demonstrate the Fibonacci Spiral in their composition. One excellent example
is Robert Greenham’s Tango Final of British Championship, Blackpool, 1969.

In David Oyens’ Young woman reading in the studio, 1901, the Fibonacci spiral can be seen in the
model’s pose; the innermost point of the spiral is placed on her eye, lending focus to her peaceful activity.
From here, it takes in the curve of her head and shoulder, with a line extending along her forearm, before
sweeping out to encompass the chair, the vertical line of the window, and the angle of the easel in the
background.
The same principle can also be discerned in paintings without the human element; Hugh
Wilkinson’s View of a New Forest Stream, 1909 also shows the flow of the Fibonacci spiral. In this landscape,
the outermost curve of the spiral is echoed roughly in the shape of the darker clouds, the upper right square
is delineated by the horizon and one of the higher treetops, whilst the lower sweep of the spiral is echoed by
the bank. The centre of the spiral curves around the vanishing point of the stream itself, again creating the
perfect focal point.
In our final example, George Weissbort’s The white coffee pot, with fruit and wine illustrates the
potential for use of the Fibonacci spiral in the composition of still life paintings. Here, the outer sweep of the
spiral is echoed in the varying height of the items, anchored in an apple, which is only partially in the frame
on the left, and tracing around the base of the pear on the right. The edges of the component squares line up
with the handle of the coffee pot, the stem of the wine glass and even the contents of the glass, creating a
pleasing and yet apparently natural arrangement.
The most interesting aspect of the Fibonacci spiral is, perhaps, the fact that it can be forced or simply found.
Last year, it was even observed in a journalist’s photograph of brawling Ukrainian parliamentarians.
 Golden Ratio
The golden ratio (symbol is the Greek letter "phi" shown at left)
is a special number approximately equal to 1.618

It appears many times in geometry, art, architecture and other areas.

The Idea Behind It

We find the golden ratio when we divide a line into two parts so that:

the whole length divided by the long part

is also equal to

the long part divided by the short part

Beauty

This rectangle has been made using the

Golden Ratio, Looks like a typical frame for a
painting, doesn't it?

Some artists and architects believe the

Golden Ratio makes the most pleasing and beautiful
shape.

Many buildings and

artworks have the
Golden Ratio in them,
such as the Parthenon
in Greece, but it is not
really known if it was
designed that way.

The Actual Value

The Golden Ratio is equal to:

1.61803398874989484820... (etc.)

The digits just keep on going, with no pattern. In fact the Golden Ratio is known to be an Irrational
Number.
Calculating It

You can calculate it yourself by starting with any number and following these steps:

A) divide 1 by your number (1/number)

B) add 1

C) that is your new number, start again at A

With a calculator, just keep pressing "1/x", "+", "1", "=", around and around. I started with 2
and got this:

Number 1/Number Add 1

2 1/2=0.5 0.5+1=1.5

1.5 1/1.5 = 0.666... 0.666... + 1 = 1.666...

1.666... 1/1.666... = 0.6 0.6 + 1 = 1.6

1.6 1/1.6 = 0.625 0.625 + 1 = 1.625

1.625 1/1.625 = 0.6154... 0.6154... + 1 = 1.6154...

1.6154...

It is getting closer and closer!

But it takes a long time to get even close, but there are better ways and it can be calculated to
thousands of decimal places quite quickly.
Drawing It

Here is one way to draw a rectangle with the Golden Ratio:

 Draw a square (of size "1")

 Place a dot half way along one side
 Draw a line from that point to an opposite corner (it is √5/2 in length)
 Turn that line so that it runs along the square's side

Then you can extend the square to be a rectangle with the Golden Ratio.

The Formula

That rectangle above shows us a simple formula for the Golden Ratio.

When one side is 1, the other side is:

The square root of 5 is approximately 2.236068, so the Golden Ratio is approximately

(1+2.236068)/2 = 3.236068/2 = 1.618034. This is an easy way to calculate it when you need it.

Interesting fact: the Golden Ratio is also equal to 2 × sin(54°), get your calculator and check!
Fibonacci Sequence

There is a special relationship between the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...

(The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it.)

And here is a surprise: when we take any two successive (one after the other) Fibonacci
Numbers, their ratio is very close to the Golden Ratio.

In fact, the bigger the pair of Fibonacci Numbers, the closer the approximation. Let us try a few:

A B B/A
2 3 1.5
3 5 1.666666666...
5 8 1.6
8 13 1.625
... ... ...
144 233 1.618055556...
233 377 1.618025751...
... ... ...

We don't even have to start with 2 and 3, here I chose 192 and 16 (and got the sequence 192,
16, 208, 224, 432, 656, 1088, 1744, 2832, 4576, 7408, 11984, 19392, 31376, ...):

A B B/A
192 16 0.08333333...
16 208 13
208 224 1.07692308...
224 432 1.92857143...
... ... ...
7408 11984 1.61771058...
11984 19392 1.61815754...
... ... ...