The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, starting from 0 and 1.
The sequence begins: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144... Fibonacci numbers appear remarkably often in nature β in flower petals, pinecone spirals, tree branches, nautilus shells, and hurricane patterns. The ratio of consecutive Fibonacci numbers approaches the golden ratio (Ο β 1.618). The sequence is used in algorithms, financial modeling, art, and architecture.
The sequence was known to Indian mathematicians as early as the 6th century CE, used in Sanskrit poetry. Leonardo Fibonacci introduced it to Western Europe in his 1202 book "Liber Abaci" using a rabbit population problem. The sequence was later named after Fibonacci by French mathematician Γdouard Lucas in the 19th century. The spiral arrangement of Fibonacci numbers was extensively studied in phyllotaxis.