ARITMETIC PATTERNS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Synthesis about the Nature’s Numbers of Ian Stewart Chapter 1 to 9

Nature’s Numbers, one of the famous triumphs of Professor Ian Stewart. He

introduced the book in a way of letting the readers see the world in an equipped
mathematician’s eye. In the prologue, Stewart once said “I assure you that, this
mathematical universe seems real enough when you’re in it”. There are patterns around
us that are only noticeable in a mathematical view point. Many theories are
distinguished in any form of hypotheses that are presented in Mathematical, Scientific,
Ancient usage and even Biblical Theory. Theories that are in line in mathematics that
helps us to open up our minds to be knowledgeable about the presence of mathematics
in nature.

In Chapter 1, Stewart initiates the arithmetic pattern (fractals, chaos), the pattern of
starts at night, yearly intervals, the six-folds symmetry of snowflakes, stripes in tigers
and zebras, spots in leopards and hyenas, dunes across the desert, colored arcs of the
rainbow, seeds in the head of sunflower and different kind of patterns, numerical
patterns, types of symmetry (Reflections, Rotations and Translations). Furthermore,
fractals are the geometric shapes that repeat their structure on even-finer scales. Chaos
are the kind of apparent randomness origins are entirely deterministic. The simplest
mathematical objects are called numbers and simplest nature’s patterns are called
numerical. According to Stewart, Numerology is the easiest and consequently the most
dangerous method for finding patterns. However, Kepler devised a simple and tidy
theory for the existence of precisely six planets on that time there are only Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Kepler found out that if you take the cube of the
distance of any planet from the sun divide it by the square of its orbital and period, you
always get the same number. The ancient Greek philosophers, whose ideas shaped the
world wide of western civilization leading up to the Scientific Revolution, In the sixteenth
century, they had the conflicting theories about why the planets moved across the sky.
But Aristotle, whose ideas prevailed, believed that the planets and the sun orbited
Earth. But in 1515, a polish priest named Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that Earth was
a planet like Venus or Saturn, and that all planets circled the sun. But the evidence for a
heliocentric Solar System gradually mounted. When Galileo pointed his telescope into
the night sky in 1610, he saw for the first time in human history that moons orbited
Jupiter.(Blitzer.L.1971).

In chapter 2, the uses of patterns, shapes and possibilities with the numbers are
defined. And human use numbers to express patterns. Addition, Daniel Nilson and
Susanne Peiger published the evolution of the computer, for the skin cell that is

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sensitive to light that provides initial mutation 1994. The double helix structure of DNA.
The Newton and Leibniz invent calculus to help us work out rates of change. Thus, in
accordance with Dr.Martin Bohner, an assistant professor of Mathematics and
Statistics. The study of time seales had led to such applications the study of insect
population models “Time scale”. Calculus has a tremendous potential for applications.
(Unified Theory, 2003). Newton’s method is a recursive algorithm for approximating the
root of differentiable function. We know simple formulas for finding the roots of linear
and quadratic equations. Resonance is the relationship between periodically moving
bodies in which cycles are locked together to take the same position and intervals. In
physics, resonance is the reinforcement or the synchronous sound vibrating a
neighbour object. (Physics classroom, 2019). The development of practical
implementation and gap between a new mathematical idea is called time lags. In
economics, a time lag is the periods of time occur to qualify the effect of policy. In
physics, a retardation in an electric current or movement.

In chapter 3, Universe appear when a tossed of the ocean in a storm occurred, but
Newton before Galileo and Kepler, realized that change obeys not in law and flux
coexist. But in the law that generates flux. Prior to Newton, nature offered an essential
static model for mathematics. Ptolemy’s theory of planetary motion used a system of
circle to produce change accurately. In chapter 4, there are two basic operation such
as; integration and differentiation. The technique for “undoing” the effect of
differentiation to isolate the initial variables is called integration. In Engineering,
Cosmology and other areas of Science , mathematical process describe as change in
nature by calculating rates as change. According to Newton, fundamental law of force =
mass x acceleration. In chapter 5, Stewart tends to start a mathematical theory that
immediately grew. Investigation gave rise to formulate equations that could be useful for
mapping electricity, magnetism and other sources of force. Michael Faraday, James
Clerck Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz and Guglielmo Marconi, introduce the recap for the
invention of TV, radio, radar etc. In chapt6er 6, In geometry, an object has symmetry if
there is an operation or transformation such as; Translation, Scaling Rotations and
Reflection that maps the figure or object onto itself. Thus symmetry can be thought of as
immunity to change. For instance, a circle rotated about its center that has the same
shape and size as the original circle, as all points before and after the transform would
be indistinguishable. A circle is thus said to be symmetric under rotation or to have
rotational symmetry. According to Stewart, there are many types of symmetry;
Reflections, Rotations and Translation are the most important.

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 In chapter 7, the mathematical theory of bifurcations, a Hopf bifurcation is a critical
point where a system’s stability switches and a periodic solution arises. More
accurately, it is local bifurcation in which a fixed point of a dynamic system loses
stability as pair of complex conjugate eigenvalues of the linearization around the
complex plane imaginary axis. (PDF.MIT). According to Stewart, quadrupled gait are the
trot, bound, rotary gallop, pace, transverse gallop, walk and center. In chapter 8,
According to Henri Poincare, phase space is the 3D place plotted the behaviour to
create portraits instead of having formula, the general shape can be determined by
every number. Stewart explains that behaviour is an imaginary mathematical space that
represents all possible motions in a dynamic system. Attractors are the dynamic
systems that tend to have a set of shapes which emerge to a phase portrait. In 1970 the
starting condition were couldn’t be defined with complete certainty. According to
Stewart, chaos is apparently pattern less behaviour it is subtle that has a deterministic
explanation. In chapter 9, as stated by Stewart, at the level of basic physics and math
the law are also schematic and simple. Universe is not chaotic if anything is boringly
predictable. Newton introduced the law of thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is a
branch of physics that deals with the energy and work of a system. (Hall, 2015).
Morphomatics are the simple patterns in nature that gave rise to the incomprehensive
complexity around us. In the epilogue, Stewart is hoping for a new kind of theory about
mathematics that incorporates the chaos theory and worked out about the study of other
forms of mathematics in the universe. Stewart is speculating for the continuation of the
other forms of arithmetic in nature or in any forms about mathematics.

Therefore, mathematics is not just about natural numbers 1,2,3…, integers that are
negatively charged whole numbers, national numbers with positively and negatively
charged whole numbers and mathematics is not about operation such as; addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division. Mathematics is also about all patterns we see in
nature. Professor Stewart once said “The word ‘number’ does not have any immutable,
God given meaning” (chapter 3.p42). All in all, mathematics is about how we see nature
in a mathematical point of view. And personally, Professor Ian Stewart and other
Mathematicians, Scientist, and Theory inventors contribute a huge favour for us readers
to see the Arithmetic patterns across the universe.

Reference

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University of Missouri .Rolla (2003. January 29). A “Unified Theory” For Calculus,
Science Daily. Retrieved September 14 2020 from
www.sciencedaily.com/release/2003/01/030129081451.htm

Gil A. : Segura I.; Temme, N.m.(2007). Numerical methods for special functions. Society
for Industrial and applied Mathematics. ISBN 978-0-89871-634-4

Professor of physics, University of Windsor, Ontario. Editor of Atomic, Molecular and

optical Physics Handbook. Last updated Jul 23, 2020.

Professor of the History of Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Author of A

history of Modern Planetary Physics and others.

Martin G (1996). Transformation Geometry; An Introducing to Symmetry Springer.p28

“Hopf Bifurcation” (PDF).MIT.

The Beauty of Numbers in Nature: Mathematical Patterns and Principles from the

Natural World Amazon

Aira Joy E. Fetizanan

BSHM 1105
20-56356
20-56356@g.batstate-u.edu.ph

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