We live in a universe of patterns. Human mind and culture have developed a formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying, and exploiting those patterns: we call it mathematics. By using mathematics to organise and systematise our ideas about patterns, we have discovered a great secret: nature's patterns are not just there to be admired, they are vital clues to the rules that govern natural processes.
This lecture considers the startling appearance of the Fibonnaci sequence in nature.
Ian Stewart read Mathematics at Churchill College, Cambridge before completing his doctorate at the University of Warwick where he is now a Professor of Maths. He was the first recipient of the Christopher Zeeman medal and has held visiting professorships in the United States, Germany and New Zealand. He has given the Royal Institution Christmas lectures and is a fellow of the Royal Society. He was the Gresham Professor of Geometry between 1994 and 1998.
