Module 1 Lesson 1.

Patterns and Numbers in Rotational Symmetry

Nature
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the
mysterious. It is the source of all true art and
science." -- Albert Einstein.
Looking very intently and with enough curiosity,
one may find amazing patterns in nature.
Mathematics in its very essence allows everyone,
from all walks of life, to be united with nature and Mirror symmetry uses the concept of reflection. Try
the environment. We see various human activity cutting the figure in half and one will notice
patterns that allows us to become fully aware of similarity among the 2 sides of the same figure. Try
their significance in our day to day living. looking yourself in a mirror? What do you see? Do
you recognize symmetry in your very own body? In
Now, let us take a few moment to answer the your face? We found symmetry if different sides
following questions for these will lead us to real-life can be viewed the same or alike. Figures possessing
experiences and that will guide us to develop rotational symmetry are alike in all sides. Can you
appreciation on how beautiful and mysterious our mention other examples of symmetry?
world is.
The natural world may appear complex and
As a teenager or as an adult have you tried diverse, but there are regularities present and
camping? May it be in school or just a family running through it just like the spirals of a seashell,
camping or outing? How was the experience? What veins of a leaf, and hexagonal formation of a
have you observed with the people and honeycomb. (Ball, 2016).
environment around you?
Do you believe that mathematics is of great
importance in understanding nature’s patterns?
Can nature and mathematics have something in
common? Will it be beneficial to people knowing
the effects of such unique collaboration?
Another natural patterns we see in nature are the
We do hope to find answers in all these queries as waves (figure 1c). Most of our family and friends’
we will explore and learn from this module. past time is going out in a beach. There is
something in its vastness and calmness that allows
Symmetries come in various forms. us to get relaxed, healed and mesmerized.
Take a look at the following figures
below.
When u wash dishes or cleaning up your clothes,
Mirror Symmetry we notice soap bubbles forming. What does it
looked like? Can you see patterns? What do the
bubbles form? What geometric figure do you see?

A beer foam and a soap bubble in figure 1d are

almost the same. In fact, a foam is composed of
bubbles. A soap bubbles are actually forming a
two-dimensional figure called a sphere. In simpler
terms, the figure formed by the foam and the
bubbles looks like tiny little circles. Though
sometimes, the circle-like figure vary in size, it
resembles that of a ball.

fractal is a pattern that the laws of nature repeat at

different scales. (Pearce, 2018). A property
called self-similarity makes the study of fractals
even more interesting. So what is really a fractal?
How is it different from the other types of
patterns? What made the study of fractals
important and relevant in our day to day dealings
with nature, with the people around us? Where do
we find fractals? What is meant by Recursion?
Fractals are beautiful structures produced by
nature. (Rose, 2012). Try dividing a fractal
pattern into smaller parts, and will notice that we
almost have the same reduced copy of the same
figure. Or try zooming a part of the Romanesco
broccoli pictured below (figure 1f), what have you
observed? What is the shape of the enlarged
figure? Does it resembles that of the whole?
Study further the given illustrations below and try
to check on the link provided for better
understanding of fractals.
The fern illustrated in figure 1e above is
composed of shapes that repeats over and
over again. Notice that the whole fern is
actually just composed of the same smaller
shapes. Romanesco broccoli is the name of
the plant in figure 1f. (Fractals in broccoli,
2019).
Let us study how the example below
illustrates the concept of recursion and
eventually explains how fractals were
created.
Illustration:
Take a look at the figure below. Starting
with a filled-in triangle, connect the
midpoints of each side and remove the
middle triangle. Try repeating this process
all over again.
The Sierpinski triangle is a fractal described in 1915
by Waclaw Sierpinski. Its structure possess what we
call “self-similar”. Do the same process all over
agian, and one will see that any smaller piece will
look identical to the whole figure. The shape that is
formed is called the Sierpinski gasket. (Parsons,
n.d.)
Lesson 2. The Fibonacci sequence and the Golden
Ratio
The number sequence is known as the Fibonacci
sequence. The Fibonacci is named after the
mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci who stumbled
across it in the 12th century. (Thomas, 2015).
The first term can be a zero or one. The three dots
after 89 is called an ellipsis which means the
pattern continues without end. Aside from
possessing some mathematical properties, it has an
extraordinary aspect that became evident among
plants and nature. But where does the discovery of
the Fibonacci sequence started? What was the
concept behind this amazing sequence of
numbers? Can you see pattern as you go along with
the sequence? If you are to list the first 100
numbers in the sequence, is it possible to do so
without a computing machine at hand? The idea
behind the sequence is just to add the previous 2
numbers to get the next number. Though listing
the first 100 terms can be very lengthy, but the
point is it can be done using paper and pen.
A curious problem caught the attention of
Fibonacci. It started with a pair of fictional and
slightly unbelievable baby rabbits, a baby boy
rabbit and a baby girl rabbit. (Thomas, 2015).
Study the given illustration below and pay please
attention to the symbols used for you to better
understand the concept of a Fibonacci sequence.
Observe that during the first month we have one
infertile pair of rabbits. During the second month, the
infertile pair turned into a fertile pair, which eventually
generates another infertile pair. Hence, in the 3rd month
we have 2 pairs of rabbits, the original pair that survives
in the second month and the new pair reproduced (the
infertile pair). Now, observes what happened in the
4th month. The fertile pair generates another infertile
pair. The infertile pair in the 3rd month became fertile
during the 4th month. Therefore, we have a total of 3
pairs of rabbits in month 4. Following the same trend or
concept, the 5th month will have a total of 5 pairs. After
one year, how many pair of rabbits will we have?
 In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers are the
following sequence of numbers:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, …
The first two Fibonacci numbers are 0 and 1 by
definition; and each succeeding term or number is the
sum of the previous two. Other sources do not start
with 0, instead the sequence will start with two 1s.
What is meant by Recurrence relation?
Take a look at the equation below:
The formula below is called as Binet's formula, named
after the mathematician Jacques Philippe Marie Binet. It
is used to find the nth term of the Fibonacci sequence.
 Find time to explore the formula and get ready
for our discussion forum in our portal. See the
course guide for reference.
 Active and honest contribution to our
discussion forum is highly appreciated. See you
then.
At this point, before we will look at some real-life
application problems of the Fibonacci sequence, let us
study one more observation of the said sequence that
helps us understand the famous golden mean.
Consider again the Fibonacci series 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8,
13, 21, 34, 55, 89, … (Notice that we omit zero as the
starting number).
Get the quotient of two successive numbers and
try to observe what happens to the result. Let us take a
look at the first 12 pairs. (Rounded off to 6 decimal
places)
Let's summarize the result:
Try to continue the process using your calculator. What
have you noticed with the ratio between any number
and the previous one? What number is being
approximated at? That particular value the ratio
seemed to settle down is approximately 1.618034. We
call this number the golden mean or the golden
ratio often denoted by φ (Phi).
In addition, a golden ratio (sometimes called the divine
proportion is an irrational number that possess unusual
properties. The ratio is 1 to 1.618 (or 1.6180339…).
Recall the sequence,
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …
Now, where can we find the Fibonacci sequence in
nature? How will the concept of the Golden ratio be
made visible and relevant in our life’s daily struggle?
“The most common appearances of a Fibonacci
numbers in nature are in plants, in the numbers of
leaves, the arrangement of leaves around the stem and
in the positioning of leaves, sections and seeds.”
(Meisner, 2012).
Suppose, we will do rectangle construction, starting
with the innermost rectangle having a side of 1 unit.
(See figure 3b).
Notice the 2 smallest rectangles with an area of 1
square unit. Now make another rectangle using one
side of the smallest rectangle and have 2 units as its
side. Continue the process with sides of lengths 5, 8, 13,
and 21. The rectangle will look like the one below.
Let us make some general notations using sides a, b, c,
and d. Have a good look at the obtained ratio. It is
approximately at 1.618034. Refer to figure 3b again.

he end product of the video is the figure 3c above. After
constructing the rectangle, a spiral will be created and
its process is explained in details by the link provided.
Now, any observation of the figure/spiral drawn? Is it
familiar to you? Where do you usually find a spiral-like
image in nature? In arts and designs? What about in
architecture?
At the start of this lesson, remember that a Fibonacci
sequence was explained by the fictional story of the
rabbits which made Fibonacci got curious about. The
application of the said sequence can be evident in most
unexpected places and that there is a life far
beyond the study of rabbits. (Kuepper, 2020)
a. Fibonacci sequence in flowers, in
the leaves and in some plants.
The golden ratio show up in the “art” of the natural
world. (Marshall, 2010). Notice the structure of the
sunflower and the spiral-like plant shown above.
“Sunflowers, which have opposing spirals of seeds, have
a 1.618 ratio between the diameters of each rotation.
This same ratio can be seen in relationships between
different components throughout nature.” (Kuepper,
2020).
Something to explore:
Fibonacci in orchids, in sunflower, in lilies, and in
various plants. Get ready to be mesmerized by its
hidden properties. Kindly visit “5 Examples of the
Fibonacci Sequence in Plants”. Check on the link below.
https://www.sunnysports.com/blog/5-examples-of-the-
fibonacci-sequence-in-plants/
b. In the Human Body
Figure 3e above would like us to verify if the golden
ratio can really be seen and evident in our human body
such as the length of our arms. Please follow the
measurement as shown above and try this at home.
 What have you got?
 Try also that of your parents’ arms, what about
that of your siblings?
 Were the values close to the golden mean?
Figure 3f would suggest us to further explore the human
body. Just follow exactly what to measure and what to
compare. Enjoy doing this with somebody or with a
group of friends or family members staying in the same
household. Hope to be hearing from you soon in our
discussion forum.
Read further the article below for additional learning.
The golden ratio: Secret to a perfect body. By John
Romaniello. https://www.foxnews.com/health/the-
golden-ratio-secret-to-a-perfect-body
c. In Arts and Designs
A strong ties between nature and art have
inspired some of the most important paintings and
artists. (Norval, 2020). Various ancient patterns have
made an influence, a great impact in most significant
creations in the modern times.
Figure 3g is a drawing of a Vitruvian Man, which
illustrates that a human body can fit into various
shapes. A shell-like formation can readily be seen in the
image of Mona Lisa (figure 3h). Both drawings were
credited to Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian polymath who
became famous because of his marvelous drawings. Da
Vinci was known as the greatest painter of all
time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci
Artists and even ordinary people became fascinated by
this amazing pieces of art that explains the divine
proportion present on it.
Module 2 Lesson 1. The Language of Mathematics expression and a verb. For instance, in the
mathematical sentence
So how does the language of mathematics work? Is it
similar to how the English language works? 6−2=4,
As you may have observed, mathematics uses a wide
variety of symbols. Furthermore, it always talks about
facts which are stated as definitions, theorems, axioms,
postulates, etc. Mathematicians conform to these
because these are the nature of the mathematical
we have the expressions 6 − 2 and 4, and the verb which
language. To better understand why this is done so, Dr. is the equal sign “=”. A verb can also be any of the
Fisher in her book entitled “One Mathematical Cat, inequality symbols <, >, ≤ and ≥. Since a mathematical
Please!” presented us the following three sentence states a complete thought, it makes sense to
characteristics of the mathematical language. ask whether it is true, false, or sometimes
true/sometimes false. For example,
Precise able to make very fine distinctions This
characteristic is particularly exercised when
mathematicians define a term. This is done so in a
precise way that only what is necessary is included in
the definition. This way no confusions will arise. For
instance, one can distinguish a triangle from a square.

Concise able to say things briefly Instead of always

saying a number larger than 5, mathematics tells us that
we can write the text as x + 5 by making x represent any
number. The conciseness of the mathematical language
can be seen in its wide usage of symbols.
Powerful able to express complex thoughts with relative
ease This is particularly seen in advance mathematics
where mathematical arguments are always expressed in
its equivalent symbolic form for the purpose of proving
statements. This is done when mathematicians are at
their most formal . However, we can also see how this
characteristic is used when we look into definitions,
theorems, axioms, etc.
Now, let us look into the vocabularies of the
mathematical language and how similar or different it is
from the vocabularies used in the English language.
Recall that in English, a simple sentence- a clause that
states a complete thought, can be formed if we have a
subject and a predicate. A subject, which is the object of
interest in a sentence, is usually a noun. As we all know,
nouns are used to name a person, a place, or a thing.
On the other hand, a predicate of a simple sentence can
be a verb-an action word. In other words, we can form a
simple sentence with only a noun and a verb. For
instance,
Lesson 2. Conventions in the Mathematical Language
Like any language, mathematics uses a set of universally
accepted symbols, syntax, and rules which we refer as
the conventions in mathematics. Through these
conventions, communicating mathematically from
wherever you are in the world is possible despite the
typical language barrier.
If we want to be fluent in speaking and writing in a
foreign language, we cannot just do it by learning the
necessary words, phrases, and sentences, it is also
essential that we know the basic grammar.
Because Mathematics is taught since elementary, we
have the basic knowledge and ability to speak
mathematically. However, contrary to what we are used
to, advance mathematics have a complicated structure
that in order to understand it, we need to be familiar
with the basic terms of the mathematical grammar. In
this lesson, we will focus on translating phrases and
sentences into their symbolic form.
Let us first consider the following sentences.

6–2=4 Observe that all of the given statements use the word
“is”. But if we translate each sentences into their
The equivalent of a noun in the Mathematical language symbolic form, we find that the word “is” can be
is an expression. Just like a noun, an expression is the replaced into different symbols.
mathematical object of interest. It does not state a
complete thought, so it does not make sense to ask if an
expression is true or false. The most common types of
an expression are numbers, sets, and functions.
Similarly, we also have sentences in the mathematical
context. A mathematical sentence is a correct How about sentence (3)? How do we write it into
arrangement of mathematical symbols that states a symbols? For sentence (3), we do not have a universally
complete thought. As a sentence, it contains an recognized system to write it in its symbolic form. But
one way to do it is by rephrasing it without hiding the
word “is” is to use the language of sets.

Can you still recall sets from your high school

mathematics class?

A group or a collection of objects is called a set. George

Cantor defined a set as follows.

Lesson 3. Some Elementary Logic

The given definition tells us that not just any collection
can qualify as a set, it has to be well-defined. What does
this mean?

A set is formed by collecting objects based on a rule.

This rule must be precise so one can easily distinguish
whether an object belongs to a set or not.

Let’s consider the following examples.

Example 2.1 Is the collection of delicious foods well-

defined? Is the collection a set?

Answer: This collection is not a set because it is unclear

which foods can be considered delicious or not. Is balut
in this collection? Some might say yes, but some might
say no.

Example 2.2 Is the collection of letters in the word

‘Mathematics’ well-defined? Is the collection a set?

Answer: Here it is clear that the objects in the given

collection are the letters m, a, t, h, e, i, c, and s. Is b in
this collection? Definitely not. So in this collection, we
can easily identify which objects belong to the collection
or not. Hence, it is well-defined, and thus, a set.