Proof that consecutive Fibonacci numbers are coprime
Builds on Coprime integersGreatest common divisorMathematical induction
Proof
We argue by induction on .
- Base case . We have and . The only positive divisor of is , so .
- Induction step. Let and assume .
- Let be a positive integer that divides and .
- By the recurrence, . A common divisor of two integers divides their difference, so .
- So is a positive common divisor of and . By the induction hypothesis, the greatest such divisor is . So , and .
- Thus the only positive common divisor of and is . So their greatest common divisor is .
- By induction, and are coprime for each .
Idea
A common divisor of two neighbours in the sequence also divides the term before them, because that term is their difference. Walking down the sequence, it divides , so it is .
Reading path
To understand this page from the ground up, read these 5 pages in order. The foundations come first.
Show the path as a graph
- no evidence level
- Divisibility definition
- Mathematical induction concept
- Greatest common divisor definition
- Coprime integers definition
- Proof that consecutive Fibonacci numbers are coprime proof
Where this leads
3 pages build on this one.
Further reading
- Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_sequence, Divisibility properties
About this page
| Tag | TVXBJQR31R |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://TVXBJQR31R |
| Kind | proof |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 11B39 |
| Proves | Consecutive Fibonacci numbers are coprime |
| Uses | Coprime integers, Greatest common divisor, Mathematical induction |
| Methods | Mathematical induction |
| Changed | 4 November 2026 |
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