What follows is a modified excerpt from Dr. Ron Knott's: The Fibonacci Numbers and Golden section in Nature - 1. I have taken the liberty of expanding this Fibonacci, rabbit, breeding model into the cubic, golden, number series through the agency of fantasy.
The original problem that Fibonacci investigated (in the year 1202) was about how fast rabbits could breed in ideal circumstances.
Suppose a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male, one female, are put in a field. Rabbits are able to mate at the age of one month so that at the end of its second month a female can produce another pair of rabbits. Suppose that our rabbits never die and that the female always produces one new pair (one male, one female) every month from the second month on. The puzzle that Fibonacci posed was...
How many pairs will there be in one year?
The number of pairs of rabbits in the field
at the start of each month is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...
Can you see how the series is formed and how it continues? If not, look at the answer!
The first 300 Fibonacci numbers are here and some questions for you to answer.
Now can you see why this is the answer to our Rabbits
problem? If not, here's
why.
Another view of the Rabbit's Family Tree:
All we need do is turn the fantasy, honeybee, family tree upside down and convert an egg-bearing, female queen into a fluffy, white pair of rabbits that always produce three pairs of rabbits: one white fluffy, one black fluffy, and one blue-gray fluffy. A black, fluffy pair will always produce two pairs of rabbits: one black fluffy and one white fluffy. A blue-gray fluffy will always produce only one pair of white, fluffy rabbits. Follow the genealogy starting with only one white, fluffy pair. Unlike Fibonacci's rabbits, these rabbits don't need a period to reach sexual maturity: they are ready for breeding the moment they come out of their mother's womb. [WOW!!! Far out.....]
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http://vinyasi.info/vinyasi/older-1st-version/book/rabbits.shtml
Monday, 16 August 2004 15:30:02 MST
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