TIL: ELI5

The Fibonacci Sequence


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The Fibonacci Sequence is a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. It usually starts with 0 and 1. In other words, just start at 0 and 1, add those together to get your next number, which would be 1, then you add that to the previous number to get 2, and so on and so forth. So, if we were to write it out, the sequence would look something like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and it could go on forever in this same way.

Now, here's where it gets super interesting. Despite this sequence starting with just a simple rule of addition, it starts to pop up in all sorts of surprising ways. For example, if you look at the number of petals on a flower or the arrangement of leaves on a stem, they often follow the Fibonacci Sequence. Even fractions made from the sequence approach a special number called the Golden Ratio, which has fascinated mathematicians and artists for centuries due to its pleasing proportions.
At first, this might seem entirely random, but it's actually a natural result of certain growth processes. For example, when a tree branches, the branches are often arranged in a spiral pattern so that they don't block each other's sunlight, and the number of spirals tends to follow the Fibonacci Sequence!
In conclusion, the Fibonacci Sequence shows how a simple rule can lead to complex and beautiful outcomes. It's a great example of how sometimes, complexity arises not from complicated rules, but from simple rules applied many times over. Understanding it can unlock a new way of seeing order and beauty in the world around us.

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TIL: ELI5By TIL