Sean Moldowan
Mathematical Beauty: The Fibonacci Sequence in Nature
Abstract: In this presentation, I will discuss the
Fibonacci sequence in nature. I will begin my talk by explaining what the
Fibonacci sequence is, and its relation to the golden ratio. I will also
discuss the various mathematicians who discovered this sequence and how it
relates to mathematics more broadly. I will then give some examples of
the Fibonacci sequence's emergence in nature, particularly including in
trees, flowers, and fruits (with a special example I will show the class). I
will also discuss how the ratio of two consecutive numbers in the Fibonacci
sequence approaches the golden ratio, and why this ratio often presents the
most efficient pattern for the development of plants and animals. I will
demonstrate how mathematicians such as Kepler, Bonnet, and Vogel expressed
formulas for the patterns observed in flowers, and the underlying
mathematical reasoning for the emergence of these patterns.