Chapter 1

MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

With the rise of digital technology, many changes took place. Many new and bright ideas,
knowledge and insights were introduced in the society that had improve every mankind’s way of
living. In your everyday life, how often have you paused to appreciate the beauty of things
surrounding you? Have you even noticed that you do the same routine tasks every day? Have
you even wondered why some social media posts become “trending” while others don’t even get
a single reaction? Have you noticed the sudden change in your routines during the COVID-19
pandemic?

No matter how fast-paced this society is, peoples’ brain still tends to recognize and follow
patterns, whether consciously or subconsciously. Recognizing patterns is indeed a natural thing
that the brain does. Early humans had used patterns and their awareness to these patterns, such
as the interval of day and night, the cycle of the moon, appearance of birds and the changing of
dry to wet season, had allowed them to survive. Truly, Mathematics plays a vital role in
everyone’s culture. Mathematics as a science also relies on both logic and creativity. For some
people, the essence of mathematics lies in its beauty and its intellectual challenge. But for those
whose works are mathematics-related, like engineers and scientists, the main value of
mathematics is how it is applied in their different fields of specialization. Thus, because of the
multifaceted role of mathematics in the life of the people, understanding the nature of
mathematics has become indispensable. So in order to be able to use mathematics to facilitate
performance of activities such as problem solving which is abound in life, one needs to perceive
and understand mathematics as part of the everyday life, comprehend and appreciate the very
nature of mathematical thinking, and be acquainted with the important mathematical ideas and
skills.

This chapter presents patterns and regularities in the world, both in nature and in human
endeavors. It will also cover discussions on the importance of Mathematics and its applications in
various fields and in everyday living.

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 Lesson 1.1
PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN NATURE AND THE WORLD

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world.
2. Argue about the nature of mathematics, what is it, how it is expressed,
represented and used.
3. Express appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor.

One of the most interesting aspects of the world is that

it can be considered to be made up of patterns. A pattern is
essentially an arrangement. It is characterized by the order of
the elements of which it is made rather than by the intrinsic
nature of these elements. - Norbert Wiener

Also, pattern includes a repeated or recurring design. It is either natural or human-

made. Patterns are everywhere and are encountered everyday - from the layout of the floor
tiles, the design of fabrics/textiles, the blocks played by kids, the arm and leg movements in
an exercise, to the arrangement of books in a library. Studying patterns helps people identify
the relationships and logical connections of things that would allow them to generalize or
predict events.

Consider these patterns:

a. What number comes next in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, ____?
b. What number comes next in 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ____?
c.

d.

?
Which of the following image will complete the pattern?

For any patterns, it is necessary to try to analyse what is happening before you can
predict the next number, or the pattern.

Number Patterns

Generally, patterns in numbers are sequence in a given set or series of numbers.

The pattern usually establishes a common relationship among all the numbers in the set. In
Mathematics, a basic and common number pattern is called a sequence. The numbers in
the sequence are called the term; that is, the first number is the first term, the second

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number is the second term and so on. In predicting a number pattern, at least 4 or 5
numbers are provided as basis; otherwise, the predicted pattern may not hold for all the
numbers under consideration.

There are many interesting number patterns in Mathematics. The common

mathematical sequences are the arithmetic sequence and the geometric sequence. Other
number patterns include triangular numbers, square numbers, cube numbers, pentagonal
numbers, and others. Aside from arithmetic and geometric sequences, a special number
pattern to be discussed in this chapter is the Fibonacci sequence.

Sequences in Mathematics

1. Arithmetic Sequence - is a sequence of numbers in which the difference between

any two consecutive numbers or expressions is the same.

Example1.1.1

a. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
b. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25

2. Geometric Sequence – is a sequence of numbers in which each term is formed by

multiplying the previous terms by a number called the common ratio.

Example1.1.2

a. 3, 6, 12, 24, 48
b. 3, 9, 27, 81, 243

3. Fibonacci Sequence – this is a special sequence of numbers where each number

in a term is the sum of the two preceding numbers.

Fibonacci Sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, …

Logic Patterns

Pattern recognition is one of the most important skill in solving problems not only in
Mathematics but also in everyday life. Just like in number patterns, logic patterns also reveal
a relationship among the pictures or images. The ability in logical reasoning and the skill to
observe patterns are considered to be the very essence of Mathematics. In fact, it is one of
the most important and considered as the core component in measuring one’s Intelligence
Quotient (IQ). Items in logical reasoning are commonly included in standardized tests that
are usually administered in career placement examinations.

Example 1.1.3

a. What image will complete the given pattern?

?
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 b. What will be next image in this pattern?

?
Word Patterns

Pattern is also present in language in terms of morphological rules in plurals of

nouns, verb tenses, as well as in metrical rules of poetry. It focuses on the form and syntax
of the word, phrase or sentence.

Example 1.1.4

a. knife – knives wife – wives life – lives

b. fry – fried cry – cried try – tried

Nature Patterns

Patterns in nature are everywhere. These are regularities of form found in the natural
world and can also be seen in the universe.

Look at the following examples of patterns and you might be able to observe some of
these the next time you go for a walk.

1. Snowflakes contains six-fold symmetry and are unique. No two snowflakes are
exactly the same.

2. Patterns can be seen among fishes. These are observed in the following sea
creatures: spotted trunkfish, spotted puffer, blue spotted stingray, spotted moral eel,
coral grouper, red lion fish, yellow boxfish and angel fish. Their stripes and spots are
regularities in biological growth and form.

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3. The different zoo animals like zebras, tigers, cats and snakes are covered in patterns
of stripes; leopards and hyenas are also covered with spots that has patterns and
giraffes are covered in pattern of blotches.

4. The waves across the oceans, sand dunes on deserts, formation of typhoon, water
drop with ripple and among others are examples of natural patterns. Other patterns
in nature can also be seen in a ball of mackerel, tornado formations and alignment of
stars in the skies at night.
5. Honeycombs of the bees show specific regular repeating hexagons.

6. Spider webs illustrate a beautiful pattern. The spider creates a structure by

performing innate steps. Age of the trees can be determined by applying
dendrochronology which is a scientific method of dating based on the amount of
rings found in the core of a tree.
7. Turtles have growth rings called “scutes” which are hexagonal. Scutes estimates
the age of the turtle. Smallest scute is in the center and is the oldest one, while the
largest ones on the outside are the newer ones.

8. Foam bubbles formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid.

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 9. Cracks can also be found on the barks of trees which show some sort of weakness
in the bark. A meander on the other hand is one of a series of regular sinuous
curves, bends, loops, turns, or windings in the channel of the body of water.

Geometric Patterns in Nature and Around Us

Mathematics is all around us. Did you know that you can describe your environment
mathematically? As one learns and discovers more about the environment, one gets to learn
how to mathematically describe the environment. The beauty of a flower, the wonderful
animal coverings, the rock formations and even the trees around exhibit nature’s sense of
symmetry. Have you ever thought about how nature likes to arrange itself in patterns in
order to act efficiently? These patterns tell something important about the nature aside from
telling everyone that nature is indeed a beautiful art to watch.

Geometric patterns in nature are visible regularities that can be observed from the
environment. These patterns can be modelled mathematically and these includes natural
patterns like symmetries, tessellations, meanders, waves, fractals, stripes, cracks and trees.
The early Greek philosophers such as Plato and Pythagoras used patterns to understand
the laws of nature. Over time, the study of patterns and their uses in understanding
phenomena have developed progressively.

Types of Patterns

A. Symmetry – refers to an object that is invariant to various forms of

transformations. This exists whenever a figure or an object looks the same under a
transformation. Symmetry in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and
beautiful proportion of balance. The common kinds of symmetry are reflection/reflective
symmetry and rotational symmetry.

*The opposite of symmetry is asymmetry.

1. Reflection (bilateral) symmetry – a symmetry in which the left and right sides of the
organism can be divided into approximately mirror image or reflection of each other along
the midline. The midline is also called the central line or the mirror line. Symmetry exists in
living things such as in insects, animals, plants, flowers and others. Animals have mainly
bilateral or vertical symmetry, even leaves of plants and some flowers such as orchids.

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 2. Radial Symmetry (or rotational symmetry) – is a symmetry around a fixed point
which is known as the center. Radial symmetry can be classified as either cyclic or
dihedral.

In cyclic symmetry, each rotation will

have an angle of 360/n and is denoted by Cn,
where n is the number of rotations. For
example, an object having C3 symmetry would
have three rotations of 120 degrees.

Dihedral symmetries have reflection

symmetries in addition to rotational symmetry. Dihedral symmetries are represented with the
notation Dn where n is the number of rotations, as well as the number of reflection mirrors
present. Each rotation angle is equal to 360/n degrees and the angle between each mirror is
180/n degrees. Example, an object with D4 symmetry has four rotations, each angle at 90
degrees and four reflection mirrors, each angle between them is 45 degrees.

B. Fractal – is a curve or geometric figure which is a result of shrinking and moving

applied many times. In fractals, the structure and appearance of each component part is
similar to the whole.

The word “fractal” was coined by Belgian mathematician, Benoit Mandelbrot, in 1980.
Mandelbrot used the word fractal to denote fraction. This is after he noticed that the self-
similar shapes have the property of not being one-dimensional or two-dimensional, but
instead, of fractional dimension. Fractals possess self-similarity, fractional dimension and
formation by iteration.

The properties of a fractal can be observed in nature. For example, a tree grows by
repetitive branching. This same kind of branching can be seen in lightning bolts and the
veins in human body. Examine a single fern or an aerial view of an entire river system and
you’ll see fractal patterns.

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 Example of Sierpinski Triangle
showing properties of fractals

C. Spirals - are patterns that center on a point and moves in a circular path farther
from the given point.

A logarithmic spiral or growth spiral is a self-similar spiral curve which often appears
in nature. It was first described by Rene Descartes and was later on investigated by Jacob
Bernoulli. Examples of spirals are pine cones, pineapples, hurricanes.

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 Lesson 1.2
THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE AND THE GOLDEN RATIO

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Discuss various applications of Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio.
2. Examine Fibonacci sequence in nature and in art.
3. Calculate golden ratio in objects.

The Fibonacci Sequence

As introduced in the lesson 1.1, the Fibonacci sequence is

a series of numbers where a number is found by adding up the two
numbers before it. Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes 0, 1,
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and so forth. Written as a rule, the
expression is

The sequence was named after Leonardo Fibonacci, also

known as Leonardo of Pisa or Leonardo Pisano. It was first
introduced in his Liber Abbaci (Book of Calculation) in 1202. This Leonardo Fibonacci
book contains the problem created by Fibonacci that concerns the (1170 – 1250)
birth rate of rabbits. Here is the Fibonacci’s rabbit problem:

At the beginning of a month, you are given a pair of newborn rabbits. After a
month, the rabbits produced no offspring; however, every month thereafter, the pair
of rabbits produces another pair of rabbits. The offspring reproduce in exactly the
same manner. If none of the rabbits dies, how many pairs of rabbits will there be at
the start of each succeeding month?

The solution of the given problem resulted to what we call now as Fibonacci
sequence. It is the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377…and its terms
the Fibonacci numbers.

GROWTH OF RABBIT COLONY

Months Adult Pairs Young Pairs Total
1 1 1 2
2 2 1 3
3 3 2 5
4 5 3 8
5 8 5 13
6 13 8 21
7 21 13 34
8 34 21 55
9 55 34 89
10 89 55 144
11 144 89 233
12 233 144 377
Fibonacci Numbers in Nature

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 There are lots of flower petals that exhibit the Fibonacci number. Among these are
the white calla lily containing 1 petal, euphorbia with 2 petals, trillium with 3 petals,
columbine with 5 petals, bloodroot with 8 petals, black-eyed susan with 13 petals, shasta
daisies with 21 petals, field daisies with 34 petals and other types of daisies with 55 and 89
petals.

Fibonacci Sequence in Nature

Fibonacci sequence is also seen in

different objects. The sunflower seed shows a
Fibonacci sequence. The pattern of two spirals
in opposing directions, clockwise and counter-
clockwise, are consecutive Fibonacci numbers
and usually contains 34 and 55 seeds.
Fibonacci numbers are also evident in
spirals of a pine cone. We can count 13 and 8
spirals in each direction, both Fibonacci
numbers. Image Credit: http://www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hosted-
ites/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html
The Fibonacci sequence can also be
observed in the way tree branches are formed
or split. A main trunk grows until it has branches
and soon creates two growth points. Then, one
of the new stems branches into two, while the
other one lies dormant. This pattern of
branching is repeated for each of the new Image Credit: http://www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hosted-
sites/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html

stems. The sneezewort tree and algae display

exhibit such kind of pattern.

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The Golden Ratio

The Fibonacci sequence has interesting and mysterious properties. Aside from the
fact that the sequence is very visible in nature, the ratios of the successive Fibonacci
numbers approach to the number phi (Φ), also known as the golden ratio which is
approximately equal to 1.618.

The golden ratio was first called as the Divine Proportion in the early 1500s in
Leonardo da Vinci’s work which was explored by Luca Pacioli entitled “De Divina
Proportione” in 1509.

The golden ratio (Φ) is the ratio between two numbers, a and b where a is greater
than b, if it is also the ratio between the sum and the larger of the two numbers as in the
equation below.
b a a/b
3 1.5
3 5 1.666666666…
5 8 1.6
8 13 1.625
13 21 1.615384615...
21 34 1.61905
34 55 1.61765
. . .
. . .
144 233 1.618055556...
233 377 1.618025751...
The Golden Rectangle

A golden rectangle comprises of

squares that is represented by the
numbers in the Fibonacci sequence.
Spirals among flowers, shells of snails,
human embryo and ears exhibit the
golden rectangle. This is also seen in
different artworks and in architecture.
Image Credit:
https://mindblown.smumn.edu/uncategorized/
The Golden Ratio in Nature can-beauty-be-explained-through-math/

The Golden Ratio manifests itself in

many places across the universe, including Earth’s nature and even to our human body
parts.

1. Flower petals. The number of flower petals is often

one of the following numbers: 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 or 55. For
example, the lily has three petals, buttercups have five of
them, the chicory has 21 of them, the daisy has often 34 or 55
petals, etc.

2. Faces. Faces, both human and nonhuman, abound

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with examples of the Golden Ratio. The mouth and nose are
each positioned at golden sections of the distance between the
eyes and the bottom of the chin. Similar proportions can be
seen from the side, and even the eye and ear itself.

3. Body parts. The Golden Section is manifested in the

structure of the human body. Your hand creates a golden
section in relation to your arm, as the ratio of your forearm to
your hand is also 1.618, the Divine Proportion. The foot has
several proportions based on phi lines, including:

a. The middle of the arch of the foot

b. The widest part of the foot
c. The base of the toe line and big toe
d. The top of the toe line and base of the “index” toe

4. Shells. Snail shells and nautilus shells follow the

logarithmic spiral, as does the cochlea of the inner ear. It can
also be seen in the horns of certain goats, and the shape of
certain spider’s webs.
Image Credit:
5. Spiral Galaxies. Spiral galaxies are the most https://www.goldennumber.net/huma
common galaxy shape. The Milky Way has several spiral arms, each of them a logarithmic
spiral of about 12 degrees.

6. Hurricanes. The powerful swirls of hurricane also match the Fibonacci sequence.

https://mindblown.smumn.edu/uncategorized/can-beauty-
be-explained-through-math/

The Golden Ratio in Arts and Architecture

The golden ratio can be used to achieve beauty, balance and harmony in art,
architecture and design. It was used as a tool in art and design to achieve balance in the
composition. The following are some of the examples:

1. The exterior dimension of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece embodies the golden
ratio.

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 Image Credit: https://emptyeasel.com/2009/01/20/a-guide-to-the-
golden-ratio-aka-golden-section-or-golden-mean-for-artists/

2. Leonardo da Vinci used the golden ratio to define the fundamental portions in his
works. He incorporated the golden ratio most of his own paintings such as the
Vitruvian Man, The Last Supper, and Monalisa.

3. Michaelangelo di Lodovico Simon also used golden ratio in his painting, “The
Creation of Adam”. This painting can be seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He
used the golden ratio showing how God’s finger and Adam’s finger meet precisely at
the golden ratio point of the weight and the height of the area that contains them.

Image credit:https://mindblown.smumn.edu/uncategorized/can-beauty-be-
explained-through-math/

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4. Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino or more popularly known as Raphael was also a painter
and architect during the Renaissance period. In his paintings, the golden triangle and

pentagram are found in “The School of Athens” and “Crucifixion.”

5. The Taj Mahal in India used the golden ratio in its construction and was completed in
1648. The order and proportion of the arches of the Taj Mahal on the main structure
keep reducing proportionately following the golden ratio.

6. Notre Dame is a Gothic Cathedral in Paris, which was built in between 1163 and
1250. It appears to have a golden ratio in a number of its key proportions of designs.

Image Credit: https://www.goldennumber.net/architecture/

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 Lesson 1.3
IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS IN THE WORLD

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. identify and discuss applications of Mathematics in various fields; and
2. apply mathematical concepts in solving societal problems.

We have seen how human knowledge has evolved throughout time. We have
observed in the previous lessons how evident Mathematics is in the natural world, not only
in patterns, but on how nature followed logical and mathematical structures. It is therefore
necessary to understand the many applications of mathematical methods in different fields
such as science, engineering, business, computer science and industry.

This section discusses mathematics as an integral part of our everyday life, as a

necessary tool needed to communicate and interact in the society we live in.

Mathematics helps people to predict different phenomena in the world and to

understand the behavior of nature. Through Mathematics, people are able to exert control
over the occurrences of events in the world and enable advancement in the society to take
place. Mathematics is indeed applicable in various applications fields. Some of these
includes forensic science, medicine, engineering, information technology, cryptography,
archaeology, social sciences, political science and other fields.

1. In forensic science, mathematics is applied specifically in collection,

measurement, analysis and documentation of evidences. Forensic scientist use proportions
in their analyses. For example, if a human leg bone is discovered in an unmarked grave,
forensic scientists use math equations to determine what proportion, or percentage, of a
person’s overall height the leg bone would be. This will enable them to know if the person
is a child or an adult. Trigonometry is also useful in forensic science. It is used by a blood
spatter analyst to study how blood from a human injury splatters on a wall or other
surface. Analysts use angles and distances to calculate the third point of the triangle: the
person who struck the victim, where the attacker was standing and how hard he must
have hit the victim.

2. In medical field, Mathematics is applied in developing medicines to cure

diseases. In particular, probability and statistics are used to validate the effectiveness of
new drugs and estimate the survival rate of cancer patients undergoing certain treatments.
Many drugs are designed to change the shape and how the pieces move. Medical
professionals also use mathematics when they write prescriptions or administer
medication. They also use mathematics when drawing up statistical graphs of epidemics or
success rates of treatments. Mathematics applies to x-rays and Computerized Axial
Tomography (CAT) scan.

Mathematical modeling is useful in medicine. Experts use calculus, functions, graphs

and differential equations to understand the nature and behavior of an epidemic disease and
to suggest counter solutions as treatment for it.

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 3. In Fluid dynamics, calculus and numerical analysis are used by engineers in
understanding phenomena involving heat, electricity and magnetism, relativistic mechanics,
gravity currents, quantum mechanics, viscous motions and others.

4. In Computer Science, applications of different mathematical concepts such as

Boolean algebra, logic, relations, functions, basic set theory, counting techniques, graph
theory, combinatorics, discrete probability, recursion, number theory, computer-oriented
numerical analysis and Operation Research techniques are necessary in writing
complicated software. Discrete Mathematics and algorithms are considered as the lingua
franca for computer scientists and software developers.

5. Cryptography is a combination of mathematics and computer science and is

affiliated closely with information theory, computer security and engineering. It is used in
applications present in technologically advanced societies which includes the security of
ATM cards, computer passwords and other electronic or digital commerce.

6. In archaeology, archeologists used mathematical and statistical techniques to

present data from archaeological surveys. They also use patterns to try to understand past
human behavior and to carbon-date artifacts.

7. In Social Sciences, mathematical models in economics, sociology, psychology

and linguistics are necessary tools to understand societal dynamics. Social scientists use
calculus, probability, game theory, and network theory to understand social phenomena.

8. In Economics, mathematical concepts such as matrices, probability and statistics

are used to generate models that try to capture present or future economic status of a
country. Models such as stochastic or deterministic, linear or non-linear, static or dynamic,
continuous or discrete are derived. Constructing such models requires knowledge on
algebraic, differential and integral equations in order to derive these models.

9. In music and arts, the rhythm that is found in all music notes is the result of
permutations and combinations. Music theorists apply set theory, abstract algebra, and
number theory to understand a musical structure.

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 Exercise 1.1
Patterns and Number in Nature and the World

Name:___________________________ Score:_______
Course and Year:__________________ Date:________

A. Determine what comes next in the following given patterns.

1. A, C, E, G, I, ____, _____, _____
2. 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, _____, _____, _____
3. 1, 10, 100, 1000, _______, _________, _________
4. 2, 5, 9, 14, 20, ______, _______, ________
5. 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, _______, ________, _______
6. What completes the pattern?
CSD, ETF, GUH, ______, KWL, _____
7. What letter comes next in this pattern?
O T T F F S S E ___ ___ ___

B. Determine the correct answer for each pattern. Encircle the letter of the correct
answer.
1. 2.

3. 4.

5.

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 Exercise 1.2
Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio

Name:___________________________ Score:_______
Course and Year:__________________ Date:________

A. Starting with the first Fib(1) = 1 and the second Fib (2) = 1, determine the
following?

1. Fib (15) = ___________

2. Fib (20) = ___________
3. If Fib (30) = 832, 040 and Fib (28) = 317, 811, what is Fib (29)?________
4. If Fib (24) = 46, 368 and Fib (23) = 28, 657, what is Fib (22)? ________

B. Read and solve completely.

1. If you have a wooden board that is 0.75 meters wide, how long should you cut it such
that the Golden Ratio is observed? Use 1.618 as the value of the Golden Ratio.

2. Jefferd wants to send his picture to Jessy. He wants the picture frame to be a golden
rectangle so that he will look good in it. If Jefferd wants the width of the frame to be
1-foot long, what should be length of the frame? Use 1.618 as the value of the
Golden Rectangle.

3. A wood that is 120 inches in length is to be cut into two parts such that the ratio of
the parts constitutes the Golden Ratio. What must be the lengths of the wood?

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 Exercise 1.3
Importance of Mathematics in the World

Name:___________________________ Score:_______
Course and Year:__________________ Date:________

A. Write an answer to the following:

1. Cite three (3) other fields/ disciplines where Mathematics is applied. Provide a
specific example of use of Mathematics in the identified field. Do not copy from the internet
in tauto. The internet should only serve as your reference.

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