Transcript Slide 1

Background
 Born 1170, Died 1250 in Pisa
(now in Italy).
 Real name is Leonardo
Pisano, Fibonacci is his
nickname.
 Studied in North Africa in
mathematics.
 Wrote many books on
Mathematics: Liber abaci,
Practica geometriae, Flos, and
Liber quadratorum.
 There are other text of his that
were lost.
Fibonacci’s Works
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Liber Abaci (The Book
of Calculating)
Liber Quadratorum
(The Book of Squares)
Practica Geometriae
(Book on Geometry)
Flos
Letter to Master
Theodorus
Liber Abaci
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Written in 1202
Responsible for introduction
of Hindu-Arabic system to
Western Europe, thus doing
away with the Roman
numeral system
Taught mathematics and
applied it to accounting,
money transfer, etc.
Introduced the rabbit
problem and consequently
the Fibonacci Sequence
Fibonacci’s Question
“A man has one pair of rabbits at a certain place entirely
surrounded by a wall. We wish to know how many pairs will be
bred from it in one year, if the nature of these rabbits is such
that they breed every month one other pair and begin to breed in
the second month after their birth.” -Liber Abaci, 1202
Fibonacci’s rabbits
How fast can rabbits breed in ideal circumstances?
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One male, one female
Rabbits are able to mate
at the age of one month
After the second month,
a female can produce
another pair of rabbits
A female always produces
1 new pair every month
following the second
month
Fibonacci’s Rabbits
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….
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How many pairs will there be in one year?
http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html#rabeecow
Fibonacci’s Rabbits
Month 1
A
A
Month 2
A
Month 3
A
A
1
A
A
2
A
1
A
A
3
A
1
Month 4
B
A
2
Month 5
Fibonacci Sequence
Month 1
1
Month 2
1
Month 3
2
Month 4
3
Month 5
5
Month 6
8
Can you see the pattern appearing?
Fibonacci Sequence
By adding the current month to the previous month you get
the next month
0
+
1
+
1
+
2
+
3
+
5
+
8
?
Fibonacci Sequence
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
F7
F8
F9
F10
F11
F12
F13
F14
F15
0
1
1
2
3
5
8
13
21
34
55
89
144 233
377
610
F16
987
F17
1567
F18
2584
F19
F20
4181
6765
Fibonacci Sequences
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Begins with zero
Add the last two numbers to get the next
0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144,………
The recursion formula
F1=1
F2=2
Fn=Fn-1 + Fn-2
If n > or = 3
Fibonacci Squares
5
8
3
1 1
2
Fibonacci Spirals
The Fibonacci Spiral
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A spiral that grows at
the rate of the Fibonacci
sequence
The spiral consists of
quarter-circles inside of
squares
This concept is closely
related to the golden
rectangle used in art and
architecture
Fibonacci in Nature
Honey Bees
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In a typical hive, there is 1 queen who can
lay eggs
There are many worker bees who are female,
but they cannot lay eggs
There are several male bees who do not
work. They are drones.
Male bees are produced by unfertilized female
eggs
Females are produced from fertilized female
eggs
Fibonacci in Nature
Honey Bees
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Males bees have only 1 parent (unfertilized)
Female bees have 2 parents (fertilized)
Examine the genealogy
Male
Female
Parents
Grand
Parents
Great Gr
Parents
Grt Grt
Grd
Parents
1
2
2
3
3
5
5
8
Fibonacci in Nature
Plants and seeds
http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html#rabeecow
Fibonacci in Nature
Human Anatomy
2 hands
5 fingers
3 joints per finger
Fibonacci
Spirals
http://goldennumber.net/face.htm
Look!
It’s a Fibonacci sock!