PRACTICE SET 1

MATHEMATICS IN OUR
WORLD
SCORE
Name : Danton Jay SibayDate : College/Program : BS Civil Engg - GeoTime /

Schedule : 8am-9am

ULO a – Let’s Check Activity (30 points)

Now that you know the most essential concepts in the study of the nature of Mathematics. Let us try to
check your understanding of these concepts. You are directed to answer the questions from MMW
Practice Set 1, Nos. 1-3 on pages 1-2. Essay Writing.

1. What new ideas about mathematics did you learn?

Answer:
I learned that Mathematics are not just about numbers. You can also use mathematics to identify
simple patterns that we somewhat disregard in our daily lives. It has also become clearer to me
how mathematics can be applied in logical reasoning like using mathematics in deduction and
coming up with a conclusion to a problem. I also learned that math is in our everyday lives, we
just don’t seem to realize it but it is everywhere.

2. What is most useful about mathematics for humankind?

Answer:
For humankind, I think the mathematics is most useful in developing new ideas and creating
things that pushes human limitations like going the moon and many other things.

3. The Blind Men and the Elephant is a famous Indian fable that tells the story of six blind
sojourners that come across different parts of an elephant in their life journeys. In turn,
each blind man creates his own version of reality from that limited experience and
perspective. How you relate this story in the study of mathematics?
Answer:
Blind men cannot see, so they mostly recognize things through their sense of touch. By touching
each part of the elephant, the blind men identify every object they touch by using patterns.
Through analyzing these patterns, the blind men can infer what objects they are touching.
ULO a- Let’s Analyze Activity (30 points)

Now that you know the most essential concepts in the study of the nature of Mathematics. Let us try
to check your understanding of these concepts. You are directed to answer the questions from MMW
Practice Set 1, #4 page 3, # 11 page 6, & # 12 page 7.

Page 3, # 4: Suppose 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. Suppose that our rabbits never die and that the female
always produces one new pair (one male, one female) every month from the second month on.
How many pairs will there be in one year?
Answer:

1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144…

Therefore, there will be 144 pairs in one year.

Page 6 # 11: The spiraling shapes in cauliflower, artichoke, and sunflower florets share a
remarkable feature: The numbers of clockwise and counterclockwise spirals are consecutive
Fibonacci numbers. Determine the number of clockwise and counterclockwise spirals of the
sunflower florets below.

Answer:
There are 89 clockwise spirals and 144 counterclockwise spirals.
 Page 7 # 12: In the Fibonacci Sequence:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, …
which of these numbers are divisible by 2?
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, …
The answer is every third number, and 2 is the third Fibonacci
number. How about the ones divisible by 3?
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, …
The answer is every fourth number, and 3 is the fourth Fibonacci
number. Could these be just a coincidence? Examine if this pattern goes
on forever.
Answer:
It is not a coincidence, if we examine the numbers divisible by 5;
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, …
We can see above that the numbers divisible by 5 are in every 5 th
number and 5 is the 5th Fibonacci.

ULO a- In a Nutshell (20 points)

Based from the most essential concepts in the study of the nature of Mathematics and the
learning exercises that you have done, please feel free to write your arguments or lessons learned on
the nature of mathematics (pages 1-10 in the SIM).

Answer: i learned about the Golden Ratio and how it appears not only in nature but also in
art, how a seemingly simple mathematical ratio can make any art or structure beautiful and iconic. I
also learned that by applying mathematics, one can easily identify patterns in nature, and somehow
knowing that these patterns can be mathematically identified makes me appreciate nature more. How
beautiful nature must be in the eyes of a mathematician.