Balancing on the edge, the golden ratio, the Fibonacci sequence and their generalization

Gautam Dutta; Mitaxi Mehta; Praveen Pathak

Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2003.06234

Balancing on the edge, the golden ratio, the Fibonacci sequence and their generalization

Gautam Dutta·Mitaxi Mehta·Praveen Pathak

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The golden ratio and Fibonacci numbers are found to occur in various aspects of nature. We discuss the occurrence of this ratio in an interesting physical problem concerning center of masses in two dimensions. The result is shown to be independent of the particular shape of the object. The approach taken extends naturally to higher dimensions. This leads to ratios similar to the golden ratio and generalization of the Fibonacci sequence. The hierarchy of these ratios with dimension and the limit as the dimension tends to infinity is discussed using the physical problem.

Explore related subjects

math.GM

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Gautam Dutta, Mitaxi Mehta, Praveen Pathak. 2020-03-06. Balancing on the edge, the golden ratio, the Fibonacci sequence and their generalization. https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.06234

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Average Chord Lengths in a Triangle

Let $P$ be a point inside a triangle $T$. We consider the average length of the chords of $T$ through $P$, where the direction of the chord is chosen uniformly. An elementary formula is obtained in terms of the distances from $P$ to the sides and vertices of the triangle. Several classical triangle centers give especially simple specializations. For example, if $I$ is the incenter, then \[ M_T(I)=\frac{2r}{\pi} \log\left(\cot\frac A4\cot\frac B4\cot\frac C4\right). \] Our main result is the sharp inequality \[ M_T(P)\le \frac{p}{\pi\sqrt3}\log(2+\sqrt3), \] valid simultaneously for every triangle of perimeter $p$ and every interior point $P$. Thus, among all such pairs $(T,P)$, the largest possible average chord length occurs only when $T$ is equilateral and $P$ is its center. The proof is an elementary symmetrization argument. We close with brief remarks relating the problem to the radial center of a convex body, the electrostatic potential center of a triangle, and dual quermassintegrals.

math.GM↗

arXiv2026

The decrease in sectional curvature of the Fisher--Rao manifold of beta distributions

In the paper, the author develops a general convexity lemma and applies it to demonstrate the monotonic decrease of a function involving polygamma functions, arising from the sectional curvature of the Fisher--Rao manifold of beta distributions.

math.GM↗

arXiv2026

A Proof of Liu's Conjecture on the Fundamental Triangle Inequality

Let $a,b,c$ be the side lengths of a triangle, and let $R$ and $r$ denote its circumradius and inradius, respectively. We prove a conjecture of Liu stating that \[\sum_{\mathrm{cyc}} \left(\frac{a(b+c-a)}{bc}\right)^k \geq 2+\left(\frac{2r}{R}\right)^k,~~k>1, \] with the reverse inequality for $0<k<1$. The proof reduces the problem to three positive variables with fixed sum and product. We also determine the equality cases.

math.GM↗