Three visual approaches to binomial Fibonacci identities
We present three visual proofs of the classical identity ∑k=0n(nk)Fk=F2n, first discovered by Édouard Lucas. Each proof exploits the combinatorial structure of Pascal’s triangle, or a variant thereof, to uncover the link between binomial coefficients and Fibonacci numbers using a technique called arrow-chasing. All three approaches naturally extend to general second-order and certain higher-order recurrence sequences, such as the Jacobsthal and Padovan numbers, providing unified visual arguments for a broad family of binomial identities.
Authors
- Regula Krapf
Institutions
- University of Bonn (DE)
- Mathematical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Fibonacci Quarterly
- Published
- 2026-08-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00150517.2026.2671211
- Primary Topic
- Quasicrystal Structures and Properties
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00