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Mathematics, Numbers, and Computers - What Are Fibonacci Numbers?

What are Fibonacci numbers?

Fibonacci numbers are an unending sequence of numbers where each (except for the initial 2 numbers in the sequence) is the sum of the two preceding numbers. A Fibonacci sequence is as follows: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 .... These numbers were first described by Italian mathematician Leonard Fibonacci (C.1180-C.1250) , also known as Leonard of Pisa, in his famous book Liber abaci (The Book of the Calculator). This book was first published in 1202, with revised editions appearing in later years.

The patterns found in Fibonacci numbers play a major role in the solution of all kinds of mathematical problems. Fibonacci numbers also, quite astonishingly, provide a mathematical model of a pattern that can be seen in many real world phenomena. For instance, Fibonacci numbers have been shown to correlate with the birthrate of rabbits and honeybees, the patterns of spiderwebs, the shapes of...

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