An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

An infinite sequence of integers, starting with 0 and 1, where each element is the sum of the two previous numbers. For example: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, … As the sequence develops, the ratio of the consecutive terms converges to the → golden ratio, about 1.618.

See also: Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci (1170-1250), medieval Italian mathematician who wrote Liber abaci (1202; Book of the Abacus), the first European work on Indian and Arabian mathematics, which introduced “Arabic” numerals in Europe; → sequence.