Fibonacci: meaning son of Bonaccio

Born 1170 AD
The greatest Western mathematician of the
Middle Ages, his full name was Leonardo of
Pisa.
Burton, D. M. (1991). Burton's History of Mathematics: An Introduction
(3rd Ed.). Boston: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.

"A pair of newly born rabbits is brought into a

confined place. This pair, and every later pair,
begets one new pair every month, starting in their
second month of age. How many pairs will there be
after one, two, months, assuming that no deaths
occur?"
Vajda, S. (1989). Fibonacci & Lucas Numbers, and the Golden Section. New York: Halsted
Press, p. 9.
f Bonaccio

hematician of the
was Leonardo of
athematics: An Introduction
s.

ught into a
later pair,
starting in their
airs will there be
g that no deaths
ection. New York: Halsted
 Old Pairs of New Pairs of
Month Rabbits Rabbits
0 1 0
1 1 0
2 1 1
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Total Number of
Pairs of Rabbits
1
1
2
An Interactive Exploration of Fibonacci-Like Sequ
Consecutive
Sequence Ratios
1
1
2
3
5
8
13
21
34
55
89
144
233
377
610
987
1597
2584
4181
6765
10946
17711
28657
46368
nacci-Like Sequences
An Interactive Exploration of Fibonacci-Like Sequen
Sequence A(n)/A(n-1)
1 Approximating Phi
1 1 2.5

2 2
3 1.5 2

5 1.666666667
1.5
8 1.6

A(n) / A(n-1)
13 1.625
1
21 1.615384615
34 1.619047619 0.5
55 1.617647059
89 1.618181818 0
144 1.617977528 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
233 1.618055556 n

377 1.618025751
610 1.618037135
987 1.618032787
1597 1.618034448
2584 1.618033813
4181 1.618034056
6765 1.618033963
10946 1.618033999
17711 1.618033985
28657 1.61803399
46368 1.618033988
cci-Like Sequences

Approximating Phi

7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
n
An Interactive Exploration of Fibonacci-Like Seque
A(n)/ A(n-1)/
Sequence A(n-1) A(n)
2 Approx imating Phi & phi
1 0.5 2 3.5
3 3 0.333
3
4 1.333 0.75
7 1.75 0.571 2.5
11 1.571 0.636
18 1.636 0.611 2

29 1.611 0.621

Ratio
1.5
47 1.621 0.617
76 1.617 0.618 1
123 1.618 0.618
199 1.618 0.618 0.5

322 1.618 0.618 0

521 1.618 0.618 1234567891111111111
843 1.618 0.618 0123456789
n
1364 1.618 0.618
2207 1.618 0.618
3571 1.618 0.618
5778 1.618 0.618
9349 1.618 0.618
15127 1.618 0.618
24476 1.618 0.618
39603 1.618 0.618
64079 1.618 0.618
ci-Like Sequences

pprox imating Phi & phi

891111111111222
0123456789012
n