Fibonacci Sequence

Fibonacci Sequence
The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...
The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it:
● the 2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1),

● the 3 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+2),
● the 5 is (2+3),
● and so on!
Example: the next number in the sequence above is 21+34 = 55
It is that simple!
Here is a longer list:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946,
17711, 28657, 46368, 75025, 121393, 196418, 317811, ...
Can you figure out the next few numbers?
Makes A Spiral
When we make squares with those widths, we get a nice spiral:
Do you see how the squares fit neatly together?

For example 5 and 8 make 13, 8 and 13 make 21, and so on.
Examples of golden ratio:
1. Flower petals- The number of petals in a flower consistently follows the Fibonacci
sequence. Famous examples include the lily, which has three petals, buttercups, which
have five (pictured at left), the chicory's 21, the daisy's 34, and so on. Phi appears in
petals on account of the ideal packing arrangement as selected by Darwinian processes;
each petal is placed at 0.618034 per turn (out of a 360° circle) allowing for the best
possible exposure to sunlight and other factors.
2. Seed heads- The head of a flower is also subject to Fibonaccian processes. Typically,
seeds are produced at the center, and then migrate towards the outside to fill all the
space. Sunflowers provide a great example of these spiraling patterns. In some cases,
the seed heads are so tightly packed that total number can get quite high — as many as
144 or more. And when counting these spirals, the total tends to match a Fibonacci
number. Interestingly, a highly irrational number is required to optimize filling (namely
one that will not be well represented by a fraction). Phi fits the bill rather nicely.
3. Pinecones- Similarly, the seed pods on a pinecone are arranged in a spiral pattern. Each
cone consists of a pair of spirals, each one spiraling upwards in opposing directions. The
number of steps will almost always match a pair of consecutive Fibonacci numbers. For
example, a 3-5 cone is a cone which meets at the back after three steps along the left
spiral, and five steps along the right.
4. Fruits and Vegetables- Likewise, similar spiraling patterns can be found on pineapples
and cauliflower.
5. Tree branches- The Fibonacci sequence can also be seen in the way tree branches form
or split. A main trunk will grow until it produces a branch, which creates two growth
points. Then, one of the new stems branches into two, while the other one lies dormant.
This pattern of branching is repeated for each of the new stems. A good example is the
sneezewort. Root systems and even algae exhibit this pattern.
6. Shells- The unique properties of the Golden Rectangle provides another example. This
shape, a rectangle in which the ratio of the sides a/b is equal to the golden mean (phi),
can result in a nesting process that can be repeated into infinity — and which takes on
the form of a spiral. It's call the logarithmic spiral, and it abounds in nature. Snail shells
and nautilus shells follow the logarithmic spiral, as does the cochlea of the inner ear. It
can also be seen in the horns of certain goats, and the shape of certain spider's webs.
7. Spiral Galaxies- Not surprisingly, spiral galaxies also follow the familiar Fibonacci
pattern. The Milky Way has several spiral arms, each of them a logarithmic spiral of
about 12 degrees. As an interesting aside, spiral galaxies appear to defy Newtonian
physics. As early as 1925, astronomers realized that, since the angular speed of rotation
of the galactic disk varies with distance from the center, the radial arms should become
curved as galaxies rotate. Subsequently, after a few rotations, spiral arms should start to
wind around a galaxy. But they don't — hence the so-called winding problem. The stars
on the outside, it would seem, move at a velocity higher than expected — a unique trait
of the cosmos that helps preserve its shape.
8. Hurricanes
9. Faces- Faces, both human and nonhuman, abound with examples of the Golden Ratio.
The mouth and nose are each positioned at golden sections of the distance between the
eyes and the bottom of the chin. Similar proportions can been seen from the side, and
even the eye and ear itself (which follows along a spiral).
It's worth noting that every person's body is different, but that averages across
populations tend towards phi. It has also been said that the more closely our proportions
adhere to phi, the more "attractive" those traits are perceived. As an example, the most
"beautiful" smiles are those in which central incisors are 1.618 wider than the lateral
incisors, which are 1.618 wider than canines, and so on. It's quite possible that, from an
evo-psych perspective, that we are primed to like physical forms that adhere to the
golden ratio — a potential indicator of reproductive fitness and health.
10. Fingers- Looking at the length of our fingers, each section — from the tip of the base to
the wrist — is larger than the preceding one by roughly the ratio of phi.
11. Animal bodies- Even our bodies exhibit proportions that are consistent with Fibonacci
numbers. For example, the measurement from the navel to the floor and the top of the
head to the navel is the golden ratio. Animal bodies exhibit similar tendencies, including
dolphins (the eye, fins and tail all fall at Golden Sections), starfish, sand dollars, sea
urchins, ants, and honey bees

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Fibonacci Sequence

The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers:

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

● the 2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1),

Example: the next number in the sequence above is 21+34 = 55

Here is a longer list:

Can you figure out the next few numbers?

Do you see how the squares fit neatly together?

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