MMW Module 1.3 Fibonacci Sequence

Continuation Module 1-3
Fibonacci Sequence
Specific Objectives
As we have discussed in the preceding lesson, human mind is capable of identifying and
organizing patterns. We were also to realized that there are structures and patterns in nature that
we don’t usually draw attention to. Likewise, we arrived at a position that in nature, some things
follow mathematical sequences and one of them follow the Fibonacci sequence. We noticed that
these sequences is observable in some flower petals, on the spirals of some shells and even on
sunflower seeds. It is amazing to think that the Fibonacci sequence is dramatically present in
nature and it opens the door to understand seriously the nature of sequence.
Discussion
Sequence
Sequence refers to an ordered list of numbers called terms, that may have repeated values. The
arrangement of these terms is set by a definite rule. (Mathematics in the Modern World, 14th
Edition, Aufmann, RN. et al.). Cosider the given below example:
1, 3, 5, 7, … (1stterm) (2nd term) (3rd term) (4th term)
As shown above, the elements in the sequence are called terms. It is called sequence because the
list is ordered and it follows a certain kind of pattern that must be recognized in order to see the
expanse. The three dots at the end of the visible patterns means that the sequence is infinite.
There are different types of sequence and the most common are the arithmetic sequence,
geometric sequence, harmonic sequence, and Fibonacci sequence.
Arithmetic sequence.
It is a sequence of numbers that follows a definite pattern. To determine if the series of numbers
follow an arithmetic sequence, check the difference between two consecutive terms. If common
difference is observed, then definitely arithmetic sequence governed the pattern. To clearly
illustrate the arrangement, consider the example below:
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 …
Notice in the given example above, the common difference between two consecutive terms in the
sequence is two. The common difference is the clue that must be figure out in a pattern in order
to recognize it as an arithmetic sequence.
Geometric sequence.
If in the arithmetic sequence we need to check for the common difference, in geometric sequence
we need to look for the common ratio. The illustrated in the example below, geometric sequence
is not as obvious as the arithmetic sequence. All possibilities must be explored until some
patterns of uniformity can intelligently be struck. At first it may seemed like pattern less but
only by digging a little bit deeper that we can finally delve the constancy. That is 2 8 , 8 32 , 32
128, ,… generate 4, 4, 4,…
Harmonic Sequence.
In the sequence, the reciprocal of the terms behaved in a manner like arithmetic sequence.
Consider the example below and notice an interesting pattern in the series. With this pattern, the
reciprocal appears like arithmetic sequence. Only in recognizing the appearance that we can
finally decode the sequencing the govern the series.
1 2 , 1 4 , 1 6 , 1 8 , 1 10 , …
Fibonacci Sequence.
This specific sequence was named after an Italian mathematician Leonardo Pisano Bigollo (1170
- 1250). He discovered the sequence while he was studying rabbits. The Fibonacci sequence is a
seriesof numbers governed by some unusual arithmetic rule. The sequence is organized in a way
a number can be obtained by adding the two previous numbers.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …
0 + 1 = 1 0, 1, 1 1 + 1 = 2 0, 1, 1, 2 1 + 2 = 3 0, 1, 1, 2, 3 2 + 3 = 5 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5
Notice that the number 2 is actually the sum of 1 and 1. Also the 5th term which is number 5 is
based on addition of the two previous terms 2, and 3. That is the kind of pattern being generated
by the Fibonacci sequence. It is infinite in expanse and it was once purely maintained claim as a
mathematical and mental exercise but later on the it was observed that the ownership of this
pattern was also being claimed by some species of flowers, petals, pineapple, pine cone,
cabbages and some shells.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …
To explore a little bit more about the Fibonacci sequence, the location of the term was
conventionally tagged as Fib(𝑛). This means that Fib(1)=1, Fib(2)=1, Fib(3)=2 and Fib(4)=3. In
this method, the Fib(𝑛) is actually referring to the the 𝑛th term of the sequence. It is also possible
to make some sort of addition in this sequence. For instance:
Fib (2) + Fib (6) = _?__

Fib(2) refers to the 2nd term in the sequence which is “1”. And Fib(6) refers to the 6th term
which is “8”. So, the answer to that equation is simply “9”
Formula for computing for the nth term in the Fibonacci Sequence
xn = φn − (1−φ)n
√5
Where: Xn stands for the Fibonacci number we’re looking for N stands for the position of the
number in the Fibonacci sequence Φ stands for the value of the golden ratio
Let us try for example: What is the 5th Fibonacci number? By using the formula we’ll get:
X5 = (1.618)5 − (1−1.618)5 /√5
X5= 5
The amazing grandeur of Fibonacci sequence was also discovered in the structure of Golden
rectangle. The golden rectangle is made up of squares whose sizes, surprisingly is also behaving
similar to the Fibonacci sequence.
( look for illustration of Golden Ratio)- you can use any applicable reference materials
As we can see in the figure, there is no complexity in forming a spiral with the use of the golden
rectangle starting from one of the sides of the first Fibonacci square going to the edges of each of
the next squares. This golden rectangle shows that the Fibonacci sequence is not only about
sequence of numbers of some sort but it is also a geometric sequence observing a rectangle ratio.
The spiral line generated by the ratio is generously scattered around from infinite to
infinitesimal.

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Continuation Module 1-3

Fib (2) + Fib (6) = _?__

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