In mathematics, the Fibonacci polynomials are a polynomial sequence which can be considered as a generalization of the Fibonacci numbers. The polynomials generated in a similar way from the Lucas numbers are called Lucas polynomials.
Definition
These Fibonacci polynomials are defined by a recurrence relation:[1]
The Lucas polynomials use the same recurrence with different starting values:[2]
The polynomials can be expressed in terms of Lucas sequences as
They can also be expressed in terms of Chebyshev polynomials and as
where is the imaginary unit.
Identities
As particular cases of Lucas sequences, Fibonacci polynomials satisfy a number of identities, such as[3]
Closed form expressions, similar to Binet's formula are:[3]
where
are the solutions (in t) of
For Lucas Polynomials n > 0, we have
A relationship between the Fibonacci polynomials and the standard basis polynomials is given by[5]
For example,
Combinatorial interpretation
The coefficients of the Fibonacci polynomials can be read off from a left-justified Pascal's triangle following the diagonals (shown in red). The sums of the coefficients are the Fibonacci numbers.
If F(n,k) is the coefficient of xk in Fn(x), namely
then F(n,k) is the number of ways an n−1 by 1 rectangle can be tiled with 2 by 1 dominoes and 1 by 1 squares so that exactly k squares are used.[1] Equivalently, F(n,k) is the number of ways of writing n−1 as an ordered sum involving only 1 and 2, so that 1 is used exactly k times. For example F(6,3)=4 and 5 can be written in 4 ways, 1+1+1+2, 1+1+2+1, 1+2+1+1, 2+1+1+1, as a sum involving only 1 and 2 with 1 used 3 times. By counting the number of times 1 and 2 are both used in such a sum, it is evident that
This gives a way of reading the coefficients from Pascal's triangle as shown on the right.
^Weisstein, Eric W. "Fibonacci Polynomial". MathWorld.
^A proof starts from page 5 in Algebra Solutions Packet (no author).
Benjamin, Arthur T.; Quinn, Jennifer J. (2003). "Fibonacci and Lucas Polynomial". Proofs that Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof. Dolciani Mathematical Expositions. Vol. 27. Mathematical Association of America. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-88385-333-7.
Jin, Z. On the Lucas polynomials and some of their new identities. Advances in Differential Equations 2018, 126 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13662-018-1527-9
Further reading
Hoggatt, V. E.; Bicknell, Marjorie (1973). "Roots of Fibonacci polynomials". Fibonacci Quarterly. 11: 271–274. ISSN 0015-0517. MR 0332645.
Hoggatt, V. E.; Long, Calvin T. (1974). "Divisibility properties of generalized Fibonacci Polynomials". Fibonacci Quarterly. 12: 113. MR 0352034.
Ricci, Paolo Emilio (1995). "Generalized Lucas polynomials and Fibonacci polynomials". Rivista di Matematica della Università di Parma. V. Ser. 4: 137–146. MR 1395332.