Section 1 The Nature of Mathematics GECMAT CHMSU – CAS Mathematics Department

INTRODUCTION

Mathematics is a useful way to think about nature and our world. The nature of mathematics
underscores the exploration of patterns (in nature and the environment). Mathematic exists everywhere and
it is applied in the most useful phenomenon. Even looking by just at the ordinary part of the house, the
room and the street, mathematics is there. Mathematics is an integral part of daily life; formal and informal.
It is used in technology, business, medicine, natural and data sciences, machine learning, industry,
engineering, and even in social sciences. It helps organize patterns and regularities in the world, predict the
behavior of nature and phenomenon in the world., control nature and occurrences in our world for our end.
Mathematics has numerous applications in the world making it indispensable.
Section 1 Chapter 1 presents the mathematics in our world. It includes the pattern and numbers in
nature and in the world in lesson 1 and Fibonacci sequence, golden ratio, and golden rectangle in lesson 2.
Chapter 2 discusses the mathematical language and symbols. Like any other languages, mathematics
has its own symbols, syntax and rules characterized as precise, concise and powerful. It discusses the
conventions in the mathematical language. It gives emphasis on four basic concepts: sets, functions, relations
and binary operations. It also includes elementary logic, connectives, quantifies, negation, variables, and
formality.
Mathematics is not just about numbers. Much of it is problem solving and reasoning-inductive and
deductive. It also discusses intuition, proof, and certainty. It utilizes Polya’s 4-steps in problem solving,
varied problem-solving strategies, mathematical problems involving patterns and recreational problems
using mathematics. Chapter 3 gives emphasis on problem solving.

Chapter 1: Mathematics in our World

Mathematics is exhibited not only in the technologies that has dominantly influenced man’s daily
pursuits. It is not only practiced by professionals like teachers, scientists, engineers, and economists.
Mathematics is practically everywhere and for everyone. It is a thing that perpetually exists in nature and
propels development at varying degrees of usefulness. The heart of mathematics is more than just numbers,
numbers which many of us supposed to be meaningless and uninteresting. “And it is mathematics that reveals
the simplicities of nature, and permits us to generalize from simple examples to the complexities of the real
world. It took many people from many different areas of human activity to turn a mathematical insight into a
useful product” (Stewart, 1995). Mathematics is everywhere because it finds many practical applications in
our daily lives.

Lesson 1: Pattern and Numbers in Nature and in the World

Mathematics is a useful way to think about nature and our world. The nature of mathematics
underscores the exploration of patterns (in nature and the environment). Mathematics exists everywhere and it
is applied in the most useful phenomenon. Mathematics is an integral part of daily life; formal and informal. It
is used in technology, business, medicine, natural data sciences, machine learning, and construction.
Mathematics is not all about numbers. Rather, it is more about reasoning, of making logical inferences
and generalizations, and seeing relationships in both visible and invisible patterns in nature and in the world.
One cannot simply base a person’s potential in mathematics based on numeric skills in the same way that a
good writer is not judged from his or her penmanship.
Mathematics goes beyond arithmetic, and this lesson is devoted to depicting mathematics as a language
by which the universe is elegantly designed, the value of which transcends the intellectual, the practical and
even the aesthetic values.
Patterns and counting are correlative. Counting happens when there is pattern. When there is counting,
there is logic. Consequently, pattern in nature goes with logic or logical set-up. There are reasons behind a
certain pattern. That’s why, oftentimes, some people develop an understanding of patterns, relationships, and
functions and use them to represent and explain real-world phenomena.
In this world, a regularity (Collins, 2018) is the fact that the same thing always happens in the same
circumstances. While a pattern is a discernible regularity in the world or in a man-made design. As such, the
elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. Patterns in nature are visible regularities of form found in
the natural world. These patterns recur in different contexts and can sometimes be modelled mathematically.
Natural patterns include symmetries, trees, spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tessellations, cracks and stripes.
According to Ian Stewart (1995), we live in a universe of patterns. Every night the stars move in circles across
the sky. The seasons cycle at yearly intervals. No two snowflakes are ever exactly the same, but they all have
six-fold symmetry. By using mathematics to organize and systematize our ideas about patterns, we have
discovered a great secret: nature’s patterns are not just there to be admired, they are vital clues to the rules that
govern natural processes.

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Section 1 The Nature of Mathematics GECMAT CHMSU – CAS Mathematics Department

Nature embraces mathematics completely. There are many different things around us that have a deep
sense of awareness and appreciation of patterns. Nature provides numerous examples of beautiful shapes and
patterns, from the nightly motion of the stars and the rainbow that we see in the sky. Some animals show pattern
in their body like the tiger’s stripes and hyena’s spots. Snails make their shells, spiders design their webs, and
bees build hexagonal combs. The structured formation of parts of human beings, animals and insects, and the
beautiful pattern of plants and flowers are examples of patterns that possess utility and beauty. The patterns that
we see are also the keys to understanding the processes of biological growth. It is indeed true that the place we
live is a world of patterns.
Honeycombs and Snowflakes Spiral patterns of leaves and flowers

Coat patterns of different species of animals

In the

general sense of the word, patterns are regular, repeated, or recurring forms or designs. We see patterns every
day – from the layout of floor tiles, designs of skyscrapers, to the way we tie our shoelaces. Studying patterns
help students in identifying relationships and finding logical connections to form generalizations and make
predictions. Patterns indicate sense of structure and organization that it seems only humans are capable of
producing these intricate, creative, and amazing formations.
Example 1: Let’s take a look at this pattern below. What do you think will be the next face in the sequence?

Solution: It should be easy enough to note that the pattern is made up of two smiling faces – one without teeth
and one with teeth. Beginning with a toothless face, the two faces then alternate. Logically, the face that should
follow is

Example 2: What is the next figure in the pattern below?

? A B 2
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Section 1 The Nature of Mathematics GECMAT CHMSU – CAS Mathematics Department

Solution: Looking at the given figures, the lines seem to rotate at 90-degree intervals in a counterclockwise
direction, always parallel to one side the square. Hence, either A or B could be the answer. Checking the other
patterns, the length of the lines inside the square follow a decreasing trend. So again, either A or B could be the
answer. Finally, looking at the number of the lines inside the box, each succeeding figure has the number of
lines increase by 1. This means that the next figure should have five lines inside. This leads to option A as the
correct choice.

Patterns in nature are visible regularities of form found in the natural world. These patterns recur in
different contexts and can sometimes be modelled mathematically. Natural patterns include symmetries, trees,
spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tessellations, cracks and stripes. Mathematics makes our life orderly and
prevents chaos. Certain qualities that are nurtured by mathematics are power of reasoning, creativity, abstract or
spatial thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving ability and even effective communication skills.
Mathematics is the cradle of all creations, without which the world cannot move an inch. Be it a cook or a
farmer, a carpenter or a mechanic, a shopkeeper or a doctor, an engineer or a scientist, a musician or a magician,
everyone needs mathematics in their day-to-day life. Mathematics reveals hidden patterns that help us
understand the world around us. Now much more than arithmetic and geometry, mathematics today is a diverse
discipline that deals with data, measurements, and observations from science; with inference, deduction, and
proof; and with mathematical models of natural phenomena, of human behavior, and of social systems.
As a practical matter, mathematics is a science of pattern and order. Its domain is not molecules or cells,
but numbers, chance, form, algorithms, and change. As a science of abstract objects, mathematics relies on
logic rather than on observation as its standard of truth, yet employs observation, simulation, and even
experimentation as means of discovering truth.
Mathematics as a human endeavor. For example, consider the math of measurement of time such as
years, seasons, months, weeks, days, and so on. Or, consider the measurement of distance, and the different
systems of distance measurement that developed throughout the world. Or, think about math in art, dance, and
music. There is a rich history of human development of mathematics and mathematical uses in our modern
society.

Lesson 2: Fibonacci Sequence, Golden Ratio and Golden Rectangle

The pictures below depict the different species of flowers. Count the number of petals for each flower.

Flower

Asiatic Candy
Name Calla lily Flag Iris Dahlia Pink daisy Sunflower
dayflower flower
Number
of petals

What sequence of numbers formed from the number of petals?

___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___

Solution: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21

The sequence of numbers formed from the number of petals of the different species of flower is a
Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence exhibits a certain numerical pattern which has turned out to be one
of the most interesting ever written down. Its method of development has led to far-reaching applications such
as to model or describe an amazing variety of phenomena, in mathematics and science, and even more
fascinating is its surprising appearance in Nature and in Art, in classical theories of beauty and proportion.
The mathematical ideas of the Fibonacci sequence led to the discovery of the golden ratio, spirals and
self- similar curves, and have long been appreciated for their charm and beauty, but no one can really explain
why they are echoed so clearly in the world of art and nature.
Fibonacci sequence derived from a problem in the Liber Abaci, which was about how fast rabbits could breed in
ideal circumstances.
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Section 1 The Nature of Mathematics GECMAT CHMSU – CAS Mathematics Department

a) A certain man put a pair of rabbits in a place surrounded on all sides by a wall. How many pairs of
rabbits can be produced from that pair in a year if it is supposed that every month each pair begets a
new pair which from the second month on becomes productive?
b) Beginning with a male and female rabbit, how many pairs of rabbits could be born in a year? The
problem assumes the following conditions:
c) Begin with one male rabbit and female rabbit that have just been born.
d) Rabbits reach sexual maturity after one month.
e) The gestation period of a rabbit is one month.
f) After reaching sexual maturity, female rabbits give birth every month.
g) A female rabbit gives birth to one male rabbit and one female rabbit
h) Rabbits do not die.

This is illustrated in the diagram.

After one month, the first pair is not yet
at sexual maturity and can't mate. At two
months, the rabbits have mated but not yet given
birth, resulting in only one pair of rabbits. After
three months, the first pair will give birth to
another pair, resulting in two pairs. At the fourth
month mark, the original pair gives birth again,
and the second pair mates but does not yet give
birth, leaving the total at three pairs. This
continues until a year has passed, in which there
will be 233 pairs of rabbits.
The resulting number sequence, 1, 1, 2,
3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55... (Leonardo himself
omitted the first term), is the first recursive sequence (in which the relation between two or more successive
terms can be expressed by a formula) known in Europe.
A recursive definition for a sequence is one in which each successive term of the sequence is defined
by using some of the preceding terms. If we sue the mathematical notation F n to represent nth Fibonacci number,
then the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are given by the following recursive definition
F 1=1 , F 2=1 , and F n=F n−1+ F n−2 for n ≥ 3.
Example 1: Use the definition of Fibonacci numbers to find the seventh and eight Fibonacci numbers.
Solution: The first six Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8. The seventh Fibonacci number is the sum of
the two previous Fibonacci numbers. Thus,
F 7=F 6+ F 5
¿ 8+5
¿ 13
The eight Fibonacci number is
F 8=F 7+ F 6
¿ 13+8
¿ 21

Binet's Formula
Binet's formula is an explicit formula used to find the nth term of the Fibonacci sequence. It is so named because
it was derived by mathematician Jacques Philippe Marie Binet.
Formula
If F n is the nth Fibonacci number, then
1
F n= ¿
√5
Example 2: Using the Binet’s formula, determine the eight Fibonacci number.
By substitution, n=8, we have

1
F 8= ¿
√5
1
¿ ¿
√5
Simplifying the expression, we have

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1
¿ ¿
√5
1
¿ ¿
√5
28 ¿ ¿

1 (1+8 √ 5+140+280 √5+ 1750+1400 √ 5+3500+1000 √ 5+625)−(1−8 √ 5+140−280 √5+1750−1400 √ 5+3500−10

¿ [
√5 2
8

1 1+8 √5+ 140+280 √5+1750+1400 √ 5+3500+1000 √ 5+625−1+ 8 √5−140+280 √5−1750+1400 √ 5−3500+1000

¿ (
√5 2
8

1 1+8 √5+ 140+280 √5+1750+1400 √ 5+3500+1000 √ 5+625−1+ 8 √5−140+280 √5−1750+1400 √ 5−3500+1000

¿ (
√5 28
¿ ( √
1 16 5+ 560 √5+2800 √ 5+2000 √ 5
)
√5 28
1 5376 √ 5
¿ ( )
√5 28
1 5376 √ 5
¿ ( )
√5 28
¿ 21
Hence, the eight Fibonacci number is 21.

Determine the quotient of the following two consecutive Fibonacci numbers.

Two consecutive 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89
Fibonacci numbers 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55
Quotient or ratio (in
three decimal places)

If we continue the sequence, we still have 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765…
If we continue down the ratio of Fibonacci numbers, what number does it approach or converge upon?
Solution: 1.618…
As the numbers in the sequence gets larger and larger, the ratio will eventually become the same
number, and that number is the Golden Ratio.
F
lim n+1 =φ
n→∞ Fn

The limit of the ratio of two consecutive Fibonacci numbers is phi.

Golden ratio phi “φ ”

The relationship of this sequence to the Golden Ratio lies not in the actual numbers of the sequence, but
in the ratio of the consecutive numbers. Since the ratio is basically a fraction, we will find the ratios of these
numbers by dividing the larger number by the smaller number that fall consecutively in the series.

The golden ratio is the division of a given unit of length into two parts such that the ratio of the whole to
the longer part is equals the ratio of the longer part to the shorter part. It is also known as the golden proportion,
golden mean, golden section, golden number, and divine proportion.

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It is a number often encountered when taking the ratios of distances in simple geometric figures, such as
the pentagon, pentagram, decagon and dodecahedron. It is a ratio or proportion defined by an irrational number
phi (approximately equal to 1. 618033988749895…). It is expressed algebraically as,
 
a+b a
= =φ
a b
where: a is the longer side and b is the shorter side.
It has its unique positive solution with a value
φ= √ ≈ 1.6180339887 …
1+ 5
2
One more interesting thing about phi is its reciprocal. If you take the ratio of any number in the
Fibonacci sequence to the next number (this is the reverse of what we did before), the ratio will approach the
1
approximation 0.618. This is the reciprocal of Phi: =0.618 …. It is highly unusual for the decimal integers
1.618
of a number and its reciprocal to be exactly the same.
1+ √5
Why φ equal to ?
2
a+b a
To derive the exact value of φ , we will use the equation = ,
a b
a+b a
=
a b
a b a
+ =
a a b
b a
1+ =
a b
a
Since =φ , we have
b
1
1+ =φ
φ
Multiply both sides by φ , we have

1
φ (1+ )=(φ) φ
φ
φ+ 1=φ2
2
φ −φ−1=0
Using quadratic formula, solve for φ , we have
−b ± √ b −4 ac
2
φ= , where a = 1, b = -1, and c = -1
2a

By substitution,
−b ± √ b 2−4 ac −(−1)± √ (−1) −4 (1)(−1) 1 ± √ 1+4 1 ± √5
2
φ= = = =
2a 2(1) 2 2
1−√ 5
Since is negative, hence we have
2
φ= √
1+ 5
2

Golden rectangle
Look at the following rectangles: which of them seems to be the most naturally attractive rectangle?

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If you were to measure each rectangle's length and width, and compare the ratio of length to width for
each rectangle you would see the following:
Rectangle one: Ratio 1:1
Rectangle two: Ratio 2:1
Rectangle Three: Ratio 1.618:1

Golden rectangle is a rectangle whose side lengths are in the golden ratio.

The Golden Rectangle is famous concept relating aesthetics and mathematics that is found in many
natural and man-made things on Earth. A golden rectangle is one that has a certain length to width ratio and is
most pleasing to the eye.
The ancient Greeks considered the Golden Rectangle to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all
rectangular shapes. A classic example is the front of the Parthenon that is comfortably framed with a Golden
Rectangle.

The Divine Proportion

The Divine Proportion is often represented by the golden spiral. This is the tool used by artists and sculptors to
achieve remarkably accurate proportion and aesthetic composition. In the golden spiral, the ratio of the length of
the side of each square to the length of the side of the next smallest square is in the golden ratio; the rectangles
formed by the combination of squares are golden rectangles; and at every quarter-turn, the spiral gets wider by a
factor of Phi.

Generalization
The Fibonacci sequence is the sequence F 1 , F2 , F3 , F 4 , … which has its first two terms F 1 and F 2 both
equal to 1 and satisfies thereafter the recursion formula F n=F n−1+ F n−2. When continued indefinitely, the
sequence encountered in the rabbit problem 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, … is called the
Fibonacci sequence and its terms the Fibonacci numbers. Binet's formula is an explicit formula used to find the
n term of the Fibonacci sequence. If F n is the n Fibonacci number, then
th th

1
F n= ¿
√5
The ratios of sequential Fibonacci numbers approach the golden ratio. In fact, the higher the Fibonacci
numbers, the closer their relationship is to 1.618. With one number a and another smaller number b , the ratio of
a
the two numbers is found by dividing them. Their ratio is . Another ratio is found by adding the two numbers
b

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Section 1 The Nature of Mathematics GECMAT CHMSU – CAS Mathematics Department

a+b
together a+ b and dividing this by the larger number a . The new ratio is . If these two ratios are equal to the
b
same number, then that number is called the golden ratio. The Greek letter φ (phi) is usually used to denote the
golden ratio. The golden ratio is sometimes called the "divine proportion," because of its frequency in the
1+ √ 5
natural world. The golden ratio φ (phi) is equal to or approximately equal to 1.6180339887 .
2
If the length of a rectangle divided by its width is equal to the golden ratio, then the rectangle is called a
"golden rectangle.” If a square is cut off from one end of a golden rectangle, then the other end is a new golden
a
rectangle. In the picture, the big rectangle (blue and pink together) is a golden rectangle because =φ . The blue
b
b
part (B) is a square. The pink part by itself (A) is another golden rectangle because =φ .
(a−b)

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