Describes the mathematic theory behind the numbers. Common Number Patterns Numbers can have interesting patterns. Here we list the most common patterns and how they are made. Arithmetic Sequences. The Fibonacci sequence is a series where a number is found by adding up the two numbers before it. It helps predict how rabbits breed and describes patterns in nature. Why do we find some people more attractive than others? This page looks at the math behind the beauty. How to Count the Spirals. The sunflower seed pattern used by the National Museum of Mathematics contains many spirals. If you count the spirals in a consistent manner. ![]() Fibonacci is best known, though, for his introduction into Europe of a particular number sequence, which has since become known as Fibonacci Numbers or the Fibonacci. In this activity you will explore the Fibonacci sequence and look for evidence of mathematical patterns in nature. What is the Fibonacci Sequence? The shapes of spiral galaxies, such as Messier 7. Hurricane Irene, follow the Fibonacci sequence. Credit: Left: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team. Right: NASA NOAA GOES Project. The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where a number is found by adding up the two numbers before it. Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 1. Written as a rule, the expression is xn = xn- 1 + xn- 2. The son of a Pisan merchant, Fibonacci traveled widely and traded extensively. Math was incredibly important to those in the trading industry, and his passion for numbers was cultivated in his youth. Prior to the publication of Liber abaci, the Latin- speaking world had yet to be introduced to the decimal number system. He wrote many books about geometry, commercial arithmetic and irrational numbers. He also helped develop the concept of zero. Beginning with a male and female rabbit, how many pairs of rabbits could be born in a year? The problem assumes the following conditions. Begin with one male rabbit and female rabbit that have just been born. At two months, the rabbits have mated but not yet given birth, resulting in only one pair of rabbits. After three months, the first pair will give birth to another pair, resulting in two pairs. At the fourth month mark, the original pair gives birth again, and the second pair mates but does not yet give birth, leaving the total at three pair. This continues until a year has passed, in which there will be 2. Sunflowers seeds, for example, are arranged in a Fibonacci spiral, keeping the seeds uniformly distributed no matter how large the seed head may be. The squares fit perfectly together because of the nature of the sequence, where the next number is equal to the sum of the two before it. Any two successive Fibonacci numbers have a ratio very close to the Golden Ratio, which is roughly 1. The larger the pair of Fibonacci numbers, the closer the approximation. The spiral and resulting rectangle are known as the Golden Rectangle. Greek architects used the ratio 1: phi as an integral part of their designs, including the Parthenon in Athens. Though this was not consciously used by Greeks or artists, the Golden Rectangle does appear in the Mona Lisa and other Renaissance art works. Phi is also the ratio of the side of a regular pentagon to its diagonal. The resulting pentagram forms a star, which is the star seen on many flags.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
August 2017
Categories |