Mathematics

in the Modern World

Topic 1: The Nature of Mathematics

What is Mathematics?
Mathematics has been defined as the study of numbers and arithmetic operations.
It is a tool or a collection of skills that helps us answer question of “HOW MANY” or “HOW MUCH”.
It is a science of logical reasoning, drawing conclusions from assumed premises or strategic reasoning.

Mathematics is Universal
Ø It help us perform daily tasks as well as make important decisions like buying wisely, choosing
the most appropriate insurance plan, or even betting on an outcome with the highest chance
of actually occurring.
Ø The way of doing mathematics has evolved from just doing calculation or performing
deduction into observing patterns, testing conjectures and estimating results.
Ø In examining the development of mathematics from a historical perspective, we can see that
much has also been directed towards describing patterns of relationship that were of interest
to various individual.
Patterns
– Mathematics maybe regarded as a study of patterns.
– A pattern constitutes a set of numbers or objects, in which all the members are related with
each other by a specific rule.
– A pattern is something which helps us anticipate what we might see or what happens next.
– Patterns help us better understand the world around us and help us predict what comes next,
imagine what came before and estimate if the same pattern will occur when variables are
changed.

Example of various patterns:
Logic Patterns shown a sequence of pictures and asked to select from among choices which figure
comes next.

Number Patterns helps you predict like what will the 50th number of this pattern be?
Find the missing number in the sequence
____, 17, 15, 13, …
8, 11, _____, 17, …

–

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 Geometric Patterns is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated like a
wallpaper design.
Nature provides many examples of patterns, including symmetries, spirals tilings, stripes, and
fractional dimensions.

Symmetry is when a figure has two sides that are mirror images of one another
Symmetry indicates that you can draw an imaginary line across an object and the resulting parts
are mirror images of each other.

A line-of symmetry divides a figure into two mirror-image halves

The figures are symmetric about the axis The dashed lines are not lines of symmetry.
indicated by the dotted line. Though they do cut the figures in half,
The left and the right portions are exactly the same. they don't create mirror-image halves.

Kinds of Symmetries
Bilateral symmetry has an object that has two sides that are mirror images of each other.

Radial symmetry occurs when the symmetry exists around a center and can be divided into similar
pieces.



A figure has rotational symmetry when it can rotate onto itself in less than a full rotation.
A figure has a rotational symmetry of order n (n-fold rotational symmetry)
360 o
Angle of rotation =
n
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What is the order n of the following figures?

A rotational order of 1 actually means the figure has no rotational symmetry. This is because in order to carry
the figure onto itself you must rotate it 360°, and because 360° is not BETWEEN 0° and 360° the figure does
not have rotational symmetry.
What is the order of rotation of the capital letter H?
Sequence
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers, called terms, that may have repeated values.
The arrangement of these terms is set by a definite rule.
Analyze the given sequence for its rule and identify the next three terms.
a.) 1, 10, 100, 1000
b.) 2, 5, 9, 14, 20

Leonardo Fibonacci
Italian Mathematician
1120 – 1240
Accomplishment:
He introduced Arabic numeral to Europe.
He made the Fibonacci Sequence.
His book Liber Abaci posed, and solved, a problem involving the growth of a population of rabbits based on
idealized assumptions. The solution, generation by generation, was a sequence of numbers later known
as Fibonacci numbers.
He discovered this sequence as he looked at how hypothesized group of rabbits bred and reproduced.
Assuming that a newly born pair of rabbits, one male and one female are put in a field. Rabbits are able to
mate at the age of one month so that at the end of its second month a female can produce another pair of
rabbits. Rabbits never die and a mating pair always produces one new pair (one male, one female) every
month from the second month on. The puzzle that Fibonacci posed was: How many pairs of rabbit will there be
by the end of one year?











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Fibonacci Sequence
The first two numbers in the Fibonacci Sequence are 1 and 1, and each subsequent number is the sum of the
previous two.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, ….
The Fibonacci numbers are the numbers in the following integer sequence, called Fibonacci sequence, and
characterized by the fact that every number after the first two is the sum of the two preceding numbers.
There are seven stair steps in a staircase. Kevin can take single or double step each time when he climbs the
staircase. In how many ways can he climb to reach the seventh stair steps from the ground?

In mathematical term, the sequence Fn of Fibonacci number is defined by the recurrence relation:
A recurrence relation is an equation that defines a sequence based on a rule that gives the next term as a
function of the previous term(s).
What if we want to calculate the nth Fibonacci number in the fibonacci sequence? How do we calculate it?

Fn = Fn-1 + Fn-2

with Seed values F1 = 1 and F2 = 1 n ≥ 3

Binet’s formula:
to find the nth Fibonacci number

Examples:
1. What is the 20th term of the Fibonacci sequence?



2. What is the 25th term of the Fibonacci sequence?

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Fibonacci sequence appear in nature very frequently. The number of petals on a flower, for instance, is usually
a Fibonacci number.

Very often there will be 5, 8, 13 , 21 or 34 petals
Sunflowers are particularly fascinating, as they show Fibonacci numbers in so many ways.
The petals on a sunflower is exactly 21, 34 or 55 petals.
If you look closely at the center of a sunflower, you will see a spiral pattern.
The number of spirals in the sunflower will always be a Fibonacci number. In a certain species, there are 21
spirals in the clockwise direction and 34 in the counter clockwise direction.

In plant Sneezewort

Fibonacci numbers in the growth of the stem and leaves.
If we count the number of branches in each section, the
counted numbers are all Fibonacci numbers. Also if we count
the number of leaves in each stage, they also form Fibonacci
numbers.

In music

Count the number of keys (notes) in each of the brackets…



The Golden Ratio
Two quantities are in golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two
quantities.

φ
(phi)

!! !
is approximately equal to 1.61803… It is also the irrational number
!
We find the golden ratio when we divide a line into two parts so that:
the long part divided by the short part a a+b
Is equal to = = 1.61803…
the whole length divided by the long part
b a
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Fibonacci numbers are intimately connected with the Golden Ratio. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233,..






This relationship between the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio is shown below:

Practice Exercises
In each question you will be presented with a logical sequence of five figures. You will need to determine
which of the possible answers best matches the next figure in the sequence, or replaces a missing figure in the
sequence.
1.

2.

3.

4.

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5. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, _____, _______
6. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, ______, _______
7. 3. 6. 11. 18. 27, _______, _______

Symmetry
1. Which of the following letters M,R,F, U are symmetry?
2. What is the order of rotational symmetry of a regular pentagon?

3. How many lines of symmetry does this star have?

Fibonnaci Sequence and Golden Ratio
1. Find the nth Fibonacci number using the Binet Formula.
a. n = 14 b. n = 22 c. n = 20 d. n = 25
2. The ratio of the length to the width of a golden rectangle is (1 + √(5):2:.The dimensions of a garden
form a golden rectangle. The width of the garden is 12 feet. Find the length L of the garden. Round
your answer to the nearest foot.



















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