The rabbit problem | NZ Maths (2024)

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Purpose

This is an activity based on the picture book The rabbit problem.

Achievement Objectives

NA4-9: Use graphs, tables, and rules to describe linear relationships found in number and spatial patterns.

AO elaboration and other teaching resources

Specific Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to represent the Fibonacci sequence in a diagram which models how the sequence is generated.
  • Students will be able to describe how their diagrams relate to the mathematics that generated the sequence.

Description of Mathematics

Numeric patterns can be represented schematically to illustrate the relationships between members within the sequential pattern.

Rules are used to describe the relationship that produces a pattern and to calculate other members of the pattern.

Required Resource Materials

  • The rabbit problem by Emily Gravett
  • Large sheets of paper (A3 or A2)

Activity

Representing Rabbits
This activity is based on the picture book The rabbit problem

Author: Emily Gravett
Paper Engineering: Ania Mochlinska
Publisher: MacMillan (2009)
ISBN: 978-0-330-50397-6

Summary:
This is a representation of the classic Fibonacci problem of reproducing rabbits. The problem of how many pairs of rabbits will you have after 1 year if you start with 1 pair and they each take 1 month to mature and produce 1 other pair each month afterwards is illustrated through a calendar. The paper engineering is creative and the narrative is told through a series of “problems” that the everincreasing population experiences each month. A small sign keeps the reader updated as to how many pairs are now living in Fibonacci’s Field. The extras, like the Ration Book and the Newspaper, contain great launch items for statistics discussions.

Lesson Sequence:

  1. Prior to reading, present the rabbit problem. (It is on the inside cover)
    If a pair of baby rabbits are put into a field, how many pairs will there be: a) at the end of each month, and b) at the end of one year? Criteria: Rabbits are fully-grown at 1 month and have another pair of bunnies at 2 months. Each pair is comprised of 1 male and 1 female and no rabbits die or leave the field.
    This is the classic rabbit problem Fibonacci used to generate the sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144…
  2. Ask students to work together in pairs and estimate the number of pairs they would have at the end of one year.
  3. You could further set the context for the book by having students explore the sequence and see if they can discover a rule for generating the next number (each number is the sum of the previous two numbers) or you could discuss some biographical or mathematical ideas related to Fibonacci the mathematician.
  4. After a first reading, quickly flip through a second time demonstrating how the pairs of rabbits are illustrated as unorganized sets. Ask students to work together to create an illustration of how the population has expanded over a year. Their diagram needs to be organized so that the set for each month is easily found. Try not to give too many directions about this assignment, as it will be a valuable assessment opportunity to see how students think about organizing a pattern.
    a. What do they know about using a tree diagram or a flow chart?
    b. Do they see it as a “branching” scheme or a layering scheme or a more linear scheme?
    c. There are many ways to create a schematic representation and encouraging creative responses to this may provide you with surprises.
  5. Ask students to present their diagrams to each other and locate the common elements and the differences between them. Generate some agreed criteria for representing sequential patterns: what makes for a clear and easily understood diagram?
  6. As a follow up you may want to explore the sequence as it is found in nature or as the spiral generated by a series of squares working out from a centre.

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Level Four

The rabbit problem | NZ Maths (2024)

FAQs

What is the rabbit math problem? ›

Fibonacci first described his 'famous' number sequence as the solution to a math problem: If a pair of rabbits are put together under certain conditions (“NO Rabbits may leave the field”), how many will there be in one year? This puzzle, posed by Fibonacci in the 13th-century, is the premise for Gravett's book.

What is the answer to the Fibonacci rabbit problem? ›

Fn+1=Fn+Fn−1. Table 2.1: Fibonacci's rabbit population. 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144,233,… where F13=233 is the solution to Fibonacci's puzzle.

How does the rabbit problem work? ›

Summary: This is a representation of the classic Fibonacci problem of reproducing rabbits. The problem of how many pairs of rabbits will you have after 1 year if you start with 1 pair and they each take 1 month to mature and produce 1 other pair each month afterwards is illustrated through a calendar.

What is the Fibonacci sequence formula? ›

Fibonacci sequence, the sequence of numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …, each of which, after the second, is the sum of the two previous numbers; that is, the nth Fibonacci number Fn = Fn 1 + Fn 2.

What is the most famous math paradox? ›

Perhaps the most famous of the paradoxes of infinity, Hilbert's Hotel is a thought experiment where a hotel has an infinite number of rooms, all of which are occupied. Yet, it can still accommodate additional guests, simply by moving them around in a clever way.

What math problem has no answer? ›

The problems consist of the Riemann hypothesis, Poincaré conjecture, Hodge conjecture, Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture, solution of the Navier-Stokes equations, formulation of Yang-Mills theory, and determination of whether NP-problems are actually P-problems.

What is the rabbit equation? ›

The rabbit equation becomes drdt=αr−βrp. If the fox population size p remained constant, this harvesting by the foxes is strikingly similar to your initial harvesting strategy, where a fixed fraction were harvested each month.

What is the rabbit problem in discrete mathematics? ›

The rabbit population problem we're exploring is a variation of the Fibonacci sequence. In the original problem formulated by Fibonacci, each pair of rabbits produces another pair every month. This forms the basic recursive structure: each term is the sum of the previous two.

Who solved the Fibonacci sequence? ›

History. Many sources claim this sequence was first discovered or "invented" by Leonardo Fibonacci. The Italian mathematician, who was born around A.D. 1170, was initially known as Leonardo of Pisa.

What is the rabbit rule logic? ›

Rabbit Rule: Applied vertically, between a claim and each of its reasons, and is combined with the Holding Hands rule. “You can't pull a rabbit out of a hat.” Using these two rules for each simple argument, you make sure that every term mentioned in each box is found in one of the others.

How many rabbits did Fibonacci have in a year? ›

At the end of a year, Fibonacci has 144 pairs of rabbits.

What is the golden ratio in nature? ›

The golden ratio is 1.618, represented by the Greek letter 'phi', is said to be is a mathematical connection between two aspects of an object. It is also called the Fibonacci sequence and it can be found across all of nature: plants, animals, weather structures, star systems – it is ever-present in the universe.

How is Fibonacci used in real life? ›

These numbers are used in various fields such as architecture, art, space exploration, engineering, technology, and computing. The Fibonacci sequence, also known as the golden ratio, is utilized in architectural designs, creating aesthetically pleasing structures 1.

What is the golden rule of the Fibonacci numbers? ›

The golden ratio, also known as the golden number, golden proportion, or the divine proportion, is a ratio between two numbers that equals approximately 1.618. Usually written as the Greek letter phi, it is strongly associated with the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers wherein each number is added to the last.

Why is the Fibonacci sequence so important? ›

The Fibonacci sequence is important for many reasons. In nature, the numbers and ratios in the sequence can be found in the patterns of petals of flowers, the whorls of a pine cone, and the leaves on stems. As the sequence continues, the ratios of the terms approach a number known as the golden ratio.

What is the rabbit rabbit theory? ›

Here are some theories behind the superstition. At the first of the month, you may notice people saying “rabbit rabbit." That's because of a superstition that if your first words that day are “rabbit rabbit,” you'll have luck for the rest of the month.

What is the rabbit died test? ›

Although rabbits were used for all manner of research, the “rabbit test” became synonymous with pregnancy screenings, and the phrase “the rabbit died” entered common usage as a euphemistic way of saying someone was pregnant (even though the rabbit always died during the test).

What is the answer to the Leo the rabbit problem? ›

By following this process, we find that the number of different ways Leo can climb 10 stairs is 89.

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