(from Bernie Cosell <bernie@fantasyfarm.com>) (The list filtering software intercepted this message, without telling me why. I've retyped the formulas. --rcs) Binets formula for the Fibonacci numbers follows fairly easily from the assumption that F_n=x^n, but I didnt quite follow how/why one would make that guess. I tried to see if I could come up with Binets formula not guessing that form. Instead I tried a finite polynomial F_n = sum(i=0,n,a_i*x^i). But then Im stuck. Id love to have discovered that this implies a_i=0 for all i/=n and a_i=1 for i=n and then Binets formula follows. But I cant quite figure that out. When I take that summation and plug it into F_n = F_(n-1) + F_(n-2) the best I can come up with a_n x^n = F_(n-2), which doesnt look promising. What am I missing? I know this isn't much "fun" but for odd reasons I've been revisiting math stuff that seemed obvious to me 50+ years, but has lain dormant. Thanks /bernie\ Bernie Cosell bernie@fantasyfarm.com -- Too many people; too few sheep --