Comments on: Harriss: Rabbit Sequence http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2009/04/harriss-rabbit-sequence/ The Math Factor Podcast Site Fri, 08 Aug 2014 12:52:06 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 By: Gelada http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2009/04/harriss-rabbit-sequence/comment-page-1/#comment-485 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:26:50 +0000 http://mathfactor.uark.edu/?p=522#comment-485 Great answer mathphan!  You have essentially given my next post on this topic!

]]>
By: mathphan http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2009/04/harriss-rabbit-sequence/comment-page-1/#comment-480 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:47:14 +0000 http://mathfactor.uark.edu/?p=522#comment-480 For anyone that is wondering, a couple characters in my prior response got replaced. [spoiler]?5 is sqrt(5).  The square root symbol got changed.
Also, I used the symbol for approximately equal when giving the decimal expansion of phi.[/spoiler]

]]>
By: mathphan http://mathfactor.uark.edu/2009/04/harriss-rabbit-sequence/comment-page-1/#comment-479 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:42:14 +0000 http://mathfactor.uark.edu/?p=522#comment-479 The clues are all there…[spoiler]This is directly related to Fibonacci sequences.  If you just write the number of adults and children at each stage you have:
a c
0 1
1 0
1 1
2 1
3 2
5 3
8 5
13 8
21 13
34 21
etc.

The number of adults is equal to the number of adults in the prior month plus the number of children in the prior month (that mature to be adults).
a(n) = a(n-1) + c(n – 1)

Also, the number of children is just the number of adults in the prior month (because they all have offspring).
c(n) = a(n – 1)

Putting the two equations together you have:
a(n) = a(n – 1) + a(n – 2)

This is the classic Fibonacci sequence.

To answer the questions:
1) (21, 13) is followed by (34, 21)
2) (p, q) is followed by (p+q, p)
3) See below:

Let’s compare the ratios of adults to children in successive months.
p/q compared to (p+q)/p

Let’s say this does converge on a particular ratio.  I’ll call that ratio R.
R = p/q = (p+q)/p

Split the fraction at the end:
R = p/q = p/p + q/p
R = p/q = 1 + q/p

Substituting in 1/R for q/p:
R = 1 + 1/R

Multiply both sides by R:
R² = R + 1

Get everything on the left hand side:
R² – R – 1 = 0

This can be solved with the quadratic formula or completing the square.
R² – R  = 1
R² – R + 1/4 = 5/4
(R – 1/2)² = 5/4
(2R/2 – 1/2)² = 5/4
(2R – 1)²/4 = 5/4
(2R – 1)² = 5
2R – 1 = ± ?5
2R = 1 ± ?5
R = (1 ± ?5) / 2

In our example the ratio is always greater than 1 (more adults than children so we want:
R = (1 + ?5) / 2

That is the Golden Ratio:
R ? 1.618033988749894848204586834…[/spoiler]

]]>