Hannah Joy D.

Mari
BSED 1 - 2

Mathematics in the Modern World

Mathematics has played a major role in bringing innovations to reality. Many mathematical theories
and models of real world problems have helped scientists and engineers grapple with seemingly
impossible tasks. Today; mathematical techniques reach even further into our society. In addition to
making technology more etftcient and effective, mathematical techniques help organizations deal
with financial, manufacturing and even marketing issues. Students require knowledge and skills that
will help them live full life in the society of the 21st century, which is an information age. Knowledge
of mathematics is a necessity for every individual. Mathematics pervades all aspects of life. It is not
possible to live in the modern world without making some use of mathematics. Many of the
developments and decisions made in industry and commerce, the provision of social and community
services, as well as goyernment policies and planning etc., rely to some extent on the use of
mathematics. Mathematics is essential, as it is a powerful means of communication, a tool for
studying other disciplines, an intellectual endeavour and a mode of thinking; and a discipline, through
which students can develop their ability to appreciate the beauty of nature, think logically and make
sound judgments.

Mathematics Symbol and Language

Mathematical Language and Symbols Language is the system of words, signs and symbols which
people use to express ideas, thoughts and feelings. Language consists of the words, their
pronunciation and the methods of combining them to be understood by a community. Language is a
systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds,
gestures or marks having understood meanings (Merriam-Webster, 2017). Every science has its own
lingo and word usage. Mathematical language is the system used to communicate mathematical
ideas. The language of mathematics is more precise than any other language one may think of. Like
other languages, it has its own grammar, syntax, vocabulary, word order, synonyms, negations,
conventions, idioms, abbreviations, sentence structure and paragraph structure. It has certain
language features unparalleled in other languages, such as representation. The language also
includes a large component of logic. The ordinary language which gradually expands to comprise
symbolism and logic leads to learning of mathematics and its useful application to problem situations,
The use of apt language is the key to making mathematics comprehensible and understandable. This
language consists of a substrate of ordinary language using technical terms and grammatical
conventions that are peculiar to mathematical discussions, supplemented by a highly specialized
symbolic notation for mathematical formulae. More advanced courses such as geometry, discrete
mathematics and abstract algebra are concerned not just with manipulating symbols and solving
equations but with understanding the interrelationships among sophisticated concepts. The language
of mathematics can ably explain and express all these. All human languages have grammatical
structures that distinguish between nouns and verbs. These structures express the difference
between the objects themselves and the actions carried out by or on the objects. Numbers,
measurements, shapes, spaces, functions, patterns, data and arrangements 5re regarded as
mathematical nouns, or objects while mathematical verbs may be considered as the four main actions
attributed to problem-solving and reasoning. These actions represent the process one goes thru to
solve a problem. According to Kenney, Hancewicz, Heuer, Metsisto and Tuttle (2005), these four main
actions are: .
Modeling and formulating creating appropriate representations and relationships to mathematize
the original problem.
Transforming and manipulating: Changing the mathematical form in which a problem is originally
expressed to equivalent forms that represent solutions.
Inferring: Applying derived results to the original problem situation, and interpreting and generalizing
the results in that light.
Communicating Reporting what has been learned about a problem to a specified audience.
Definitely, mathematics is a language. Expertise in this language can be gained by long and carefully
supervised experiences on its usage and application.

Nature of Mathematics in the Modern world

Patterns in nature are visible regularities found in the natural world. These patterns persist in
different contexts and can be modelled mathematically. Natural patterns may consist of spirals,
symmetries, mosaics, stripes, spots, etc. The world seems to make several distinct patterns, evolving
various complex steps of formation but a closer and deeper study reveals that these patterns have
many similarities and resemblances. Plato, Pythagoras and Empedocles and other early Greek
philosophers studied patterns to explain order in nature which lead to the modern understanding of
visible patterns. In the 19th century, Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau examined soap films, leading
him to formulate the concept of a minimal surface. German biologist and artist Ernst Haeckel painted
hundreds of marine organisms to emphasize their symmetry. Scottish biologist D'Arcy Thompson
pioneered the study of growth patterns in both plants and animals, showing that simple equations
could explain spiral growth. In the 20th century, British mathematician Alan Turing predicted
mechanisms of morphogenesis which give rise to patterns of spots and stripes. Hungarian biologist
Aristid Lindenmayer and French American mathematician BenoTt Mandelbrot showed how the
mathematics of fractals could create plant growth patterns (Patterns in Nature, 2017).