The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers

Objective: derive the value of φ and investigate its relationship to the Fibonacci
numbers.
What do the delightful petal arrangements in a red rose; spiral shells of mollusks and
the breeding of rabbits have in common? Strange to say, they are all related by the
number φ . Great mathematicians, biologists, artists, musicians, psychologists and
mystics have pondered over this number. It is also called “the golden ratio”.

What is φ and how can we calculate it?

Let’s begin by reviewing the concept of proportion.
Definition
We say a is to b as c is to d if a/b=c/d or ad = bc.

The first definition of the golden ratio appears in Book VI of Euclid’s Elements.

Euclid defined a proportion derived from a simple division of a line into what he
called its “ extreme and mean ratio.”
In Euclid’s words:” a straight line is said to have been cut in extreme and mean ratio
when, as the whole line is to the greater segment, so the greater to the lesser. In other
words the line segment AB is divided by C in such a way that

AC CB
= .
AB AC

We shall show that this ratio equals an irrational number called φ .

Algebraic Derivation of φ

A C B

Let us take the shorter unit CB =1 unit and AC = x

x 1
By definition of the golden ratio: =
x +1 x
→ x2 = x + 1 → x2 − x −1 = 0

Solving the equation x 2 − x − 1 = 0 (by using the quadratic formula) yields:

1+ 5
x1 =
2
1− 5
x2 =
2
 1+ 5
Since a proportion cannot be negative, φ =
2
We can now see that φ is irrational.
Some Properties of φ

Use your calculator to compute φ = 1.618033989.

1
You can also compute φ 2 = 2.618033989 and = 0.618033988
φ
1+ 5 1 1− 5
Exercise 1:Use φ = to verify φ 2 = 1 + φ and =
2 φ 2

Other ways to obtain φ

1. Let us now determine the value of the expression:

x = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ....

x 2 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ....
Hint: look at
→ x2 = 1 + x
or x 2 − x − 1 = 0
The solution is φ !
1
x = 1+
1
1+
2. Now consider the continued fraction: 1
1+
1
1+
1 + ...
1
We can rewrite x as x = 1 + which can be rewritten as x 2 = x + 1
x
The solution is again φ !

φ and the Fibonacci Sequence

Historically, the Fibonacci Sequence 1,1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, was observed in the increase of
the offspring of pairs of breeding rabbits.
Algebraically, the terms are defined as T1 = 1 , T2 = 1 . For n ≥ 3 , Tn = Tn −1 + Tn − 2 (i.e., each
term is obtained by adding the two previous terms).
Let us examine the ratios of successive terms.
 1 =1
1
2 =2
1
3 = 1.5
2
5 = 1.666
3
8 =
5
As we go farther down the Fibonacci sequence, the ratio of two successive terms
oscillates about but seems to come closer and closer to the golden ratio. Is this possible?
Recall that
1
φ = 1+
1
1+
1
1+
1
1+
1 + ...
Let us use the above formula to find the successive approximations for φ
φ =1
1
φ = 1 + =2
1
1 1 3
φ = 1+ = 1 + = = 1.5
1+1 2 2
1 5
1+ = = 1.66
φ= 1 3
1+
1+1

(The reader should continue determining successive approximations until the

correspondence between the approximations and ratios of Fibonacci terms becomes
clear.)
Instances of the golden ratio and Fibonacci numbers are found in nature, science, art,
music and architecture. For example, most field daisies have 13, 21, or 34 petals- all
Fibonacci numbers. Another instance is the symmetric arrangement of the petals of roses.
The angles defining the positions (in fractions of a full turn) of the petals are the
fractional part of simple multiples of φ .
1. Exercise 1: find the measure of the angles in a regular pentagon.

In any regular planar figure (those with equal sides and interior angles; also
known as regular polygons), the sum of the interior angles is given by
1800(n-2) where n is the number of sides. In a pentagon n=5 and the sum of
the angles is equal to 5400 . every angle of the pentagon is therefore equal to
540
= 1080
5
2. Let us draw two adjacent diagonals in the pentagon thus forming three
isosceles triangles

3. Find the measures of the angles in each of the resulting isosceles triangles
Now consider the following: by bisecting one of the 720 base angles we obtain a
smaller triangle with same angles (360- 720- 720) as the larger triangle