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A Brief Review on the Golden Mean and Fibonacci Numbers

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 A Brief Review on the Golden Mean and Fibonacci Numbers
Alireza Kazemi1∗ , Shanna Croney2 , Zhian Asadzadeh3
1
Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106 USA,
2
Sandia Prepratory School, Albuquerque, NM 87113 USA
3
Technical University of Graz, Steiermark, Austria
(Dated: September 3, 2015)
This review presents some basic properties of Golden Mean, Fibonacci numbers, and a math-
ematical approach using matrix analysis to make a connection between them. Some fascinating
manifestations and applications of Golden mean and Fibonacci numbers in Quantum Mechanics
and Cosmology are presented.

I. INTRODUCTION double helix spiral. 34 and 21, which are numbers in

the Fibonacci series and their mean, 1.6190476 closely
approximate phi. Plants that are formed in spirals, such
The golden mean (shown by Greek letter phi (ϕ) with
as pinecones, pineapples and sunflowers, also illustrate
value 1.618033987499..) and the Fibonacci numbers are
the Golden Mean. Many plants produce new branches in
among those mysterious numbers that have fascinated
other quantities that are based on Fibonacci numbers [8].
mathematicians, philosophers, and artists for more than
2000 years. While the golden mean has always existed
The animal kingdom also exhibits many examples of
in mathematics, it is unknown exactly when it was first
the golden mean and Fibonacci numbers [1]. The eye,
discovered and applied by mankind. It is reasonable to
fins and tail of dolphins all fall at golden sections of the
assume that it has perhaps been discovered and rediscov-
length of their bodies. The thickness of the dolphin’s
ered throughout history. Phi and the Fibonacci numbers
tail section corresponds to same golden section of the
can be found in many places throughout the universe. A
line from head to tail. The eye-like marking of moth fall
2003 study revealed that the shape of the universe may
at golden sections of the lines that mark its width and
in fact be a dodecahedron based on the golden mean
length. The spiral growth of sea shells provides a simple
[1, 12]. A self-funded research organization (ELFRAD)
example of phi. The eyes, beak, wing and key body
which tracks radiation on Earth through an array of
markings of the penguin also fall at golden sections of
antennas, has found an extremly low frequency signal at
its height.
phi [2]. Another study has shown that the dimensions of
the Earth and Moon are in phi relationships, forming a
golden triangle [3]. In January 2010 Science Daily and Phi (and its counterpart Fibonacci sequence) will
Physics World announced the discovery of a golden mean continue to open new doors in our understanding of life
in solid state matter [9]. The golden mean also seems and the universe. Any further study of this proportion
to be appearing in several places in quantum physics [10]. is appreciated and will open a door to a deeper under-
standing of beauty and spirituality in life. In this short
letter the basic concepts related to phi and the Fibonacci
The human body is also based on patterns of 5, which numbers and their mathematical relation is presented.
is the basis for phi as well [4]. A 2000 study showed Three rather intriguing manifestations of them are also
that a heartbeat which produces a phi relationship in explained in details which have been of special interest
the T point of the ECG (electrocardiogram) signifies a for the writers.
state of being that is one of health, peace and harmony
[5]. Our perception of physical beauty is hard- wired
into our being and based on how closely one’s features
reflect phi in their proportions. In a recent study [6],
the human face was analyzed from ancient times to the II. BASIC CONCEPTS
modern day. Through this research, it was discovered
that beauty is not only related to Phi, but can also be A. The Golden Mean
defined for both genders and for all races, cultures and
years with the beauty mask. The decimal representation of the golden mean (ϕ) is:

The DNA molecule was extensively studied and has 1.6180339887499 (1)
been shown to be based on the golden section [7]. It
measures 34Å long by 21Å wide for each full cycle of its Mathematically speaking, two quantities ’a’ and ’b’ are
said to be in the golden mean ϕ if

a+b a
∗ Email: [email protected] = =ϕ (2)
a b
 2

b 1
One way to find the value of ϕ is to set a = ϕ and where M is defined as:
simplifying (Eq.2)  
1 1
M= (12)
a+b b 1 1 0
=1+ =1+ (3)
a a ϕ
The Fibonacci sequence appears in the first row of (Eq.
It is shown that; 11), while the second row generates
  a trivial term. Using
Fn
the same substitution for and continue this pro-
1 Fn−1
1+ =ϕ (4) cess
 to reach the first two terms in the Fibonacci sequence
ϕ
F1
:
After multiplying both sides by ϕ and arranging the F0
equation      
Fn F F =1
2
ϕ −ϕ−1=0 (5) = M n−1 ... ↔ 1 (13)
Fn−1 Fn−2 F0 = 0
Using the quadratic formula, the only positive solution is Where the final power of M is n.
√
1+ 5
   
ϕ= = 1.6180339887499 (6) Fn+1 n 1
2 =M (14)
Fn 0
One can infer from (Eq. 2), that two quantities are in
The question now is how to find M n . It is a simple
the golden mean if the mean of the sum of the quantities
process to raise a diagonal matrix to a power, so the first
to the larger quantity is equal to the mean of the larger
step is to diagonalize M . Begin by diagonalizing M to
quantity to the smaller one.
find the transformation matrix Q which gives:

M = QDQ−1 (15)
B. The Fibonacci Numbers
Where D is a diagonalized matrix. The first step to find
The Fibonacci series is a sequence of numbers first dis- D, is to find the eigenvalues of M by finding all solutions,
covered by Leonardo Fibonacci in 1202 [1]. The first two λ for which
numbers in the series are one and one. To obtain each
number of the series, you simply add the two preceding M − λI (16)
numbers:
is nonsingular, or invertible. Substituting the values for
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, ... (7) M into the equation gives the following matrix
In mathematical terms, the sequence Fn of Fibonacci
 
1−λ 1
numbers is defined by the recurrence relation (17)
1 −λ
Fn+1 = Fn + Fn−1 (8) Which is nonsingular when the following equation holds
true
with seed values

F0 = 0, F1 = 1 (9) λ2 − λ − 1 = 0 (18)

It is a simple process to find the roots of the equation,

III. RELATION BETWEEN FIBONACCI which are
SEQUENCE AND GOLDEN MEAN √
1± 5
λ± = (19)
2
In this section we study the relation between the
Golden Mean and Fibonacci sequence. As was mentioned Where
in section IIB, the Fibonacci sequence is given by √
1+ 5
λ+ = ≡ϕ (20)
Fn+1 = Fn + Fn−1 (10) 2
A 2 × 2 matrix M can be used to write the Fibonacci √
sequence in a matrix form: 1− 5
λ− = ≡ −ϕ−1 (21)
    2
Fn+1 Fn
=M (11)
Fn Fn−1 Now D and Dn can be written in the following forms:
 3

   n 
λ+ 0 n λ+ 0
D= →D = (22)
0 λ− 0 λn−

And Q and Q−1 can be written as:

 
1 1
Q= 1 1 (23)
λ+ λ−

λ
" #
√+ √1
−1 5 5
Q = −λ− −1 (24)
√ √
5 5

Now M n can be constructed in the following way:

M n = (QDQ−1 )(QDQ−1 )...(QDQ−1 ) = (QDn Q−1 )

(25)
Which can be written as: FIG. 1: The Model of Honey bee family tree
λ+
" √ #
√1
  n
n 1 1 λ+ 0 5 5
M = 1 1 −1 =
λ+ λ− 0 λn− −λ√− √ IV. THE GOLDEN MEAN AND THE
5 5
 n+1 n+1  (26) FIBONACCI NUMBERS IN NATURE
λ −λ + λn −λn − + −
√ √
5 5
λn−1 −λn−1
 
λn n
+ −λ− + − A. Fibonacci numbers in the Honey Bee Family
√ √
5 5 Tree

From the Eq.(14), one can infer:

The golden mean can be found in a variety of plant
life and, interestingly, the Fibonacci sequence can even
λn+1
+ − λn+1
− ϕn+1 − (−ϕ−n−1 )
Fn+1 = √ = √ (27) be found in a honey bee colony. Each honey bee colony
5 5 contains only one queen, with the unfertilized eggs of the
queen bee resulting in male worker bees and the fertil-
Which is obviously the famous Binet Fibonacci Number ized eggs of the queen bee becoming female worker bees,
formula: which are usually sterile. A female becomes a reproduc-
ϕn − (−ϕ−n ) tive queen only if chosen to be fed royal jelly. This means
Fn = √ (28) that males have only one parent (the queen) and female
5 bees have two parents (the queen and a male). By cre-
ating a family tree for a male worker bee the number
The latter equation demonstrates the relationship be-
of ancestors in each generation can be achieved. As it’s
tween the Fibonacci sequence and the golden mean.
shown in Fig. 1 the family tree, surprisingly, follows the
However, there is also a stronger relationship between
Fibonacci sequence.
them. To get that relation, notice that, since ϕ is greater
than one, ϕ raised to a negative power approaches zero
as the power goes to infinity.
B. Golden Mean in Quantum World
√
1+ 5
ϕ= >1 ⇒ ϕ−n → 0 (n → ∞) (29) One of the most interesting applications of the golden
2
mean in physics is its application in the case of the
Therefore, as n → ∞ the relation between the Fi- quantum fluctuations in a spin chain [12]. Suppose we
bonacci sequence and ϕ: have some spins (atoms) on a one dimensional chain
that interact with each other through their spins (in fact
n+1
ϕ√ this interaction occurs because of the interaction of the
Fn+1 5
= ϕn =ϕ (30) magnetic field created by the spin of each particle and
Fn √
the spin of its neighbors). The theory that deals with
5
the stationary case is called the ’Ising Model’. But the
This equation confirms that the golden mean is in fact question is what would happen if an external particle
the limit of mean between two subsequent terms of the (any source of energy) interacts in elasticity with these
Fibonacci sequence. spins?! The effect of this interaction can encourage
 4

FIG. 3: a) A dodecahedron (the proposed model of the Uni-

verse) consists of twelve pentagons. b) The golden mean
shown on the diagonals of a typical pentagon.

FIG. 2: The magnetic field is used to tune the chains of spins is Phi and is precisely what should be measured if the
to a quantum critical state. The resonant modes (“notes”)
quasiparticles are described by E8 (the symmetry that
are detected by scattering neutrons. These scatter with
the characteristic frequencies of the spin chains (Courtesy of
could give a so-called ”theory of everything”).
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers).

spins to flip spontaneously or alternate between up C. Shape of the Universe and the Golden Mean
and down. This kind of fluctuation can, like any other
perturbation, propagate through a material, much like a
Like visible light from distant stars and galaxies,
particle, and is therefore referred to as a quasiparticle.
cosmic background radiation allows scientists to peer
In fact, the situation here with this quasiparticle is
into the past to the time when the universe was in its
very similar to the case of the propagation of waves in
infancy. Density fluctuations in this radiation can also
lattices and the quasiparticles called phonons. These
tell scientists much about the physical nature of space.
quantum fluctuations occur even at zero temperature
NASA released the first WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave
and, if the field is strong enough, ferromagnetism is
Anisotropy Probe) cosmic background radiation data in
destroyed in a quantum phase transition. The impor-
2003. This data then was used to develop a model for
tant point here is that the energy spectrum of these
the shape of the universe [14].
quasiparticles is quantized and these quantization modes
can be measured by finding the change in energy of the
scattered particles. In a recent experiment conducted The study analyzes a variety of different models for
by researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fur the universe, including finite vs. infinite, flat, negatively
Materialien und Energie (HZB), in coopemeann with curved (saddle-shaped), and positively curved (spherical)
colleagues from Oxford and Bristol Universities, as well space and a torus (cylindric). The study revealed that
as the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the energies of the math adds up if the universe is finite and shaped
several of these quasiparticles were measured. This was like a dodecahedron [13].
accomplished by cooling a sample of cobalt niobate to
40 mK and firing neutrons at it to create quasiparticles. The connection to phi is found in the pentagons that
This process causes the spin and energy of the scattered form the faces of the Dodecahedron. As shown in Fig. 3,
neutrons to change relative to the incident beam by an a dodecahedron is one of the Platonic solids consisting
amount that can be used to calculate the energies of the of twelve pentagonal faces. After drawing in the diago-
quasiparticles. A schematic of the experiment is shown nals, it is seen that not only is the ratio of a diagonal
in Fig. 2 to a side an approximation for Phi, but so do the ratios
of the lengths of the resulting line segments. It should
First, the experiment was performed at zero magnetic be mentioned that the model of a finite, dodecahedral-
field and five quasiparticles were found. But when the shaped universe, while promising, is hardly a proven the-
measurements were repeated in a magnetic field, it was ory; there’s more work to be done. What makes it excit-
observed that as the strength of the field was increased to ing now is it’s not a matter of idle speculation. There’s
the quantum critical value of 5.5T , the mean of energies real data to review and the possibility of getting a definite
of the first two quasiparticles approached 1.618, which answer.
 5

V. CONCLUSION bers is not a coincidence and, perhaps, even illustrates

a larger connection that has yet to be discovered. Any
While only a few examples are illustrated in this paper, further study of Phi and the Fibonacci sequence is ap-
it can be seen that the Fibonacci sequence and golden preciated and will help lead to a deeper understanding of
mean appear repeatedly, from the quantum level to the beauty and spirituality in life.
entire universe. Surely, the pervasiveness of these num-

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