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---
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layout : post
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title : Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers
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+ category : math
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+ tags : golden_ratio, Fibonacci, series
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---
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Pretty much everybody heard about the golden ratio, and if you are a little
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ following. Take a rectangular piece of paper; cut away the largest square
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remaining rectangle is * similar* to the original, then ratio of the
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two sides of the rectangle (short to long) is the golden ratio.
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- ![ Rectangle division] ( .. /images/2014 /golden-ratio-1.png)
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+ ![ Rectangle division] ({{ site.url }} /images/2015 /golden-ratio-1.png)
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As shown in the picture above, the equality of the two ratios can be
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expressed in an equation:
@@ -65,8 +67,8 @@ $$a_n = a_{n-1}+a_{n-2}$$, let's take the difference of the two ratios
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$$
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\begin{eqnarray}
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- \delta_n &=& \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_{n}} - \frac{a_{n+2 }}{a_{n+1}} \\
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- &=& \frac{a_{n+1}^2 - a_{n}a_{n+2}}{a_n a_{n+1}}
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+ \delta_n &=& \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_{n+2 }} - \frac{a_{n}}{a_{n+1}} \\
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+ &=& \frac{a_{n+1}^2 - a_{n}a_{n+2}}{a_{n+1} a_{n+2 }}
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\end{eqnarray}
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$$
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@@ -81,12 +83,46 @@ N_n &\equiv& a^2_{n+1} - a_n a_{n+2} \\
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\end{eqnarray}
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$$
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- which is exactly $$ -N_{n-1} $$ . That is, the numerator of $$ \delta_{n-1} $$
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- with a negative sign. So, we know the numerator of $$ \delta_n $$ is a
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- constant with a flipping sign. But the denominator $a_na_ {n+1}$ is a fast
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- growing number. So $$ \delta_n $$ approaches zero very quickly. Therefore,
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- we can conclude that the ratio $$ a_{n+1}/a_n $$ converges.
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+ which is exactly $$ -N_{n-1} $$ , that is, the numerator of $$ \delta_{n-1} $$
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+ with a negative sign. You can go all the way down to $$ \delta_0 $$ ; each
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+ time you go one step down, you flip the sign but keep the magnitude constant.
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+ The denominator $$ a_{n+1}a_{n+2} $$ , on the other hand, is a fast
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+ growing number. So $$ \delta_n $$ will approach zero very quickly. Therefore,
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+ we can conclude that the ratio $$ a_n/a_{n+1} $$ converges (as long as
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+ $$ \delta_n $$ approaches zero faster than $$ 1/n $$ , which is true in this case).
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Note that, it does not matter what the starting values $$ a_1 $$ and $$ a_2 $$ are.
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- As long as $$ a_n = a_{n-1}+a_{n-2} $$ , the ratio converges as $$ n\to \infty $$ .
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+ As long as $$ a_n = a_{n-1}+a_{n-2} $$ relation holds, the ratio converges as
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+ $$ n\to \infty $$ . So it can be regular Fibonacci numbers
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+ $$ \{1, 1, 2, 3, 5\dots\} $$ , or so-called Lucas numbers
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+ $$ \{2, 1, 3, 4, 7\dots\} $$ , or whatever $$ a_1 $$ , $$ a_2 $$ you choose,
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+ even negative numbers. The ratio converges very quickly.
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+ ![ Sequence ratio convergence] ({{ site.url }}/images/2015/fibonacci-ratio-converge.png)
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+ Paper cutting again
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+ ---------------------------
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+ In the first figure, we cut a square out of a rectangular paper, and
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+ we let the remaining smaller rectangle be similar to the original, and
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+ then we conclude the ratio of the two sides is the golden ratio.
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+ Clearly if we start with the golden ratio, we can repeat this operation
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+ and cut the paper (mathematically) forever.
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+ What if the ratio is not the golden ratio to start with?
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+ First we define the situation that we say we cannot cut the paper in
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+ way anymore. That is, when the ratio of the two side $$ x \ge 2 $$ , because
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+ when this happens, the long side will still be a long side after a
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+ square is removed, or it will become a square and you don't know how to
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+ cut it anymore.
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+ It can be shown that to cut this rectangular forever, the only ratio
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+ you can start with is the golden ratio. If you start with a ratio of two
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+ adjacent Fibonacci numbers (can be very close to the godel ratio but not
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+ exactly), you will end up with a square, that is, the ratio of the sides
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+ is $$ a_2/a_1 $$ .
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+
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