How to Calculate the Fibonacci Sequence

Calculating the Fibonacci Sequence

The Fibonacci sequence was discovered by Leonardo Pisano Bigollo, the son of an Italian merchant. Needing a easier way of working with arithmetic, Leonardo Bigollo realized the value of the Hinu-Arabic numerical system while living in North Africa. More efficient than the Roman numeral system, Leonardo discovered a better method of keeping records for the merchants of his day. The first appearance of the Fibonacci sequence was in Bigollo's work, Liber Abaci, where the breeding habits of rabbits were used to exemplify this abstract series of numbers.

Instructions

1. Write down "1, 1" on a piece or paper.

2. Adding these numbers together gives you the third digit in the sequence: 2.

3. Write down the "2" following the "1, 1" in step one. You should be left with "1,1,2."

4. Add together the last two numbers to arrive at the fourth iteration of the sequence. In this case, add 1 and 2 to arrive at 3.

5. Write down the "3" next to your existing list of numbers. Now, you will have a string of numbers, "1,1,2,3."

6. Continue to add the last two terms of this series to arrive at the next number in the sequence. The fifth iteration is the sum of 2 and 3, giving you 5. The sixth digit in the sequence is found by adding together the 3 and 5, arriving at 8.

Tips & Warnings

• You may find it interesting to look further into the properties of sequences and series, as they display some fairly remarkable characteristics.

References

• Fibonacci Sequence - History
• Fibonacci Number