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10.07.2021 at 01:46 pm
Cuttings

Plants Are Maths

Cauliflowers grow mathematically.

... The branched tips, called meristems, make up a logarithmic spiral, and the number of spirals on the head of Romanesco cauliflower is a Fibonacci number, which in turn is related to what's known as the "golden ratio." ...

In his 1202 treatise, Book of Calculation, Fibonacci described the numerical sequence that now bears his name: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... and on into infinity. Divide each number in the sequence into the one that follows, and the answer will be something close to 1.618, an irrational number known as phi, aka the golden ratio.

Consider this article's claim - that fractals, Fibonacci, and the golden ratio have something to do with cauliflowers.

I tried to prove the division assertion. It's true.

My (likely fallacious) conclusion: cauliflowers are mathematical.

Code
                        def fibonacci(n):

    x = 0
    y = 1
    while (res := x + y) < n:
        x, y = y, res
        yield f"{x:5d}, {y:5d}, {y / x:.10f}"


for i in fibonacci(100000):
    print(i)



#                         Output
#
#        1,     1, 1.0000000000
#        1,     2, 2.0000000000
#        2,     3, 1.5000000000
#        3,     5, 1.6666666667
#        5,     8, 1.6000000000
#        8,    13, 1.6250000000
#       13,    21, 1.6153846154
#       21,    34, 1.6190476190
#       34,    55, 1.6176470588
#       55,    89, 1.6181818182
#       89,   144, 1.6179775281
#      144,   233, 1.6180555556
#      233,   377, 1.6180257511
#      377,   610, 1.6180371353
#      610,   987, 1.6180327869
#      987,  1597, 1.6180344478
#     1597,  2584, 1.6180338134
#     2584,  4181, 1.6180340557
#     4181,  6765, 1.6180339632
#     6765, 10946, 1.6180339985
#    10946, 17711, 1.6180339850
#    17711, 28657, 1.6180339902
#    28657, 46368, 1.6180339882
#    46368, 75025, 1.6180339890
                    
Source: Ars Technica
Filed under:
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Words: 40 words approx.
Time to read: 0.16 mins (at 250 wpm)
Keywords:
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