NATURE OF MATHEMATICS

Mathematics in the modern World

PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN NATURE AND THE WORLD

As a rational creature, we tend to identify and follow patterns, whether

consciously or subconsciously. Early humans recognized the repeating interval day and
night, the cycle of the moon, the rising and falling of tides, and the changing of the
seasons.
Awareness of these patterns allowed humans to survive.
 Do you also notice patterns around you?
 What other example can you think of?

Patterns – regular, repeated or recurring forms or design.

 Studying patterns help students in identifying relationships and finding logical
connections to form generalization and make predictions.

Number sequence - a progression or an ordered list of numbers governed by a pattern

or rule.
 Numbers in a sequence are called terms.

Symmetry – it indicates that you can draw an imaginary line across an object and the
resulting parts are mirror image of each other.

 Bilateral symmetry - A condition in which the right and left sides of an item are
mirror images of one another.

Figure 1:star
 The figure above is symmetry about the axis indicated by the dotted line.
 The left and right portion are exactly the same
 This type of symmetry is called bilateral symmetry.

Figure 2: the Vitruvian man

Vitruvian Man is a drawing made by Leonardo da Vinci. It depicts the symmetry and
proportions of an ideal human body which can aid effective designing.

 Rotational symmetry - the property a shape or object has when it looks the
same after rotation as it did at its starting point.
  Angle of rotation – The smallest angle that a figure can be rotated while
still preserving the original formation.
360 °
Angle of rotation=
n
n- number of fold or rotation or pattern repetition

 Order of rotation - The order of a rotation is the number of times the

figure looks the same as it originally did during one full turn.

Example:
 Spiderwort flower for instance has three leaves arranged around the
center of the flower. The Spiderwort leaf repeats 3 times so there is a 3-
fold rotational symmetry (120 degrees).
360 ° 360°
Angle of rotation= = =120 °
n 3
 The baby starfish has 4 legs arranged around the center of the body.
This baby starfish leg repeats 4 times so it has 4-fold rotational symmetry
(90 degrees)
360 ° 360°
Angle of rotation= = =90°
n 4

Figure 3: Spiderwort Flower Figure 4: Baby Starfish

Packing Problems – it involves finding the optimum method to filling up a given space
such as a cubic or a spherical container.

The bees have instinctively found the best solution, evident in the hexagonal
construction of their hives. These geometric patterns are not only simple and beautiful
but also optimally functional.

Figure 5: Honeycomb Figure 6: Square and Hexagonal formation

The structure and shape of honeycomb enables the bee colony to maximize
their storage of honey using the smallest amount of wax.

The hexagonal formation used in honeycomb clearly covers a larger area than
when using square formation (Figure 6).
Patterns in Animals

The natural world presents a palette of beautiful complexity. From the peacock
tail and the eyespots of a butterfly, to the evolving camouflage of the chameleon,
nature loves patterns. Patterns are also exhibited in the external appearance of animals.
 Tigers – they have parallel stripes, evenly spaced and perpendicular to
the spine

The Sunflower

Looking up close a sunflower, there is definite pattern of clockwise and

counterclockwise arcs or spirals extending outward from the center of the flower.
This is another demonstration of how nature works to optimize the available
space.
This arrangement allows the sunflower seeds to occupy the flower head in a way
that maximize their access to light and necessary nutrients.

Figure 7: Sunflower pattern

Snail’s Shell

Snails are born with their shells, called protoconch, which starts out fragile and
colorless. Eventually these original shells harden as the snails consume calcium. As the
snails grow, their shell continues to expand proportionately. This process results in a
refine spiral structure. This figure is called equiangular spiral (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Sliced snail’s shell

Equiangular spiral – a spiral that follows a rule that as a distance from the spiral center
increases (radius), the amplitude of the angle form by the radii from the point and the
tangent to the point remain constant (figure 9).
 Figure 9: Equiangular spiral/Logarithmic Spiral

Flower Petals
 Different flowers have different number of petals, these numbers are all
Fibonacci numbers.
 Mathematics in the modern world
NATURE OF MATHEMATICS
(Asynchronous Activity) August 17, 2023

PATTRENS AROUND ME!

Objective: To appreciate the nature and use of mathematics in everyday life

In this fast face society, how often you stop and appreciate beauty of the things
around you? Have you ever paused and pondered about the underlying principles that
govern the universe?
Recognizing patterns feels natural, like our brain is hardwired to recognize them.

For this day, your task is to observe patterns in nature and the world. Unleash your
creativity!

Instruction:
1. Look for a pattern or regularities in the world
2. Draw the object manifesting such patterns.
3. Use long bond paper for your drawing
4. Write a simple description of the object
5. Describe the patterns you observe in the object.

Materials:
 Long bond paper
 Pencil
 Marker
 colors

SAMPLE

Write a
Description