Module 1

Nature of Mathematics

INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES

In this fast-paced society, how often have you stopped to appreciate

the beauty of the things around you? Have you ever paused and
1. Identify patterns in
pondered about the underlying principles that govern the universe?
nature and
How about contemplating about the processes and mechanisms
regularities in the
that make our lives easier, if not more comfortable? Most people do
world;
the same routine tasks everyday and the fundamental concepts that
2. Appreciate the make these activities possible are often overlooked.
nature and
importance of As rational creatures, we tend to identify and follow patterns,
mathematics in daily whether consciously or subconsciously. Recognizing patterns feels
life; natural, like our brain is hardwired to recognize them. Early humans
recognized the repeating interval of day and night, the cycle of the
3. Argue about the moon, the rising and falling of tides and the changing of the
nature of seasons.
mathematics, what is
and how it is In this chapter, we will be looking at patterns and regularities in the
expressed; world and how mathematics comes into play, both in nature and in
human endeavors.
4. Produce creative
work inspired by
mathematical
concepts.

PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN NATURE AND THE WORLD

In the general sense of the word, patterns are regular, repeated or recurring forms or designs.
We see patterns everyday- from the lay out of the floor tiles, designs of skyscrapers, to the way we tie
our shoelaces. Studying patterns help students identifying relationships and finding logical connections
to form generalizations and make predictions.
Let’s take a look at this pattern:

Example 1: What comes next?

What is the next figure in the pattern below?

________

What do you think will be the next figure? It should be easy enough to note that the pattern is made of
two stars- one 5-pointed star and one 4-pointed star. Beginning with a 5-pointed star, the two figures
then alternate. Logically, the figure that should follow is a .

GEC4a- Mathematics in a Modern World with fundamentals of Accounting

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Nature of Mathematics

Example 2: What number comes next?

What number comes next in 1,3,5,7,9 _______?

Solution:

Looking at the given numbers, the sequence is increasing with each term being
two more than the previous item. Therefore, the next term should be 11.

Snowflakes and Honeycombs

Recall that symmetry indicates that you can draw an imaginary line across an object and the
resulting parts are mirror images of each other.

This figure is symmetric about the axis indicated by the dotted line. Note that the left
and right portions are exactly the same. This type of symmetry, known as line of
bilateral symmetry is evident in most animals, including humans. Look in a mirror and
see how the left and right sides of your face closely match.

Other examples:

This starfish has a five-fold symmetry Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man showing the proportions of the human body.

Order of Rotation

Consider this image of a snowflake:

It can be observed that the pattern on a snowflake repeat 6

times, indicating that there is a six-fold symmetry. To
determine the angle of rotation, we simply divide 360° by 6
to get 60°. Many combinations and complex shapes of
snowflakes may occur, which lead to some people to think
that no two are alike. If you look closely, however, many
snowflakes are not perfectly symmetric due to the effects
of humidity and temperature on the ice crystals as it forms.

GEC4a- Mathematics in a Modern World with fundamentals of Accounting

 Module 1
Nature of Mathematics

Tigers’ stripes and Hyenas’ spots

Patterns are also exhibited in the external appearances

of animals. We are familiar with how a tiger looks-
distinctive reddish-orange fur and dark stipes. Hyenas,
another predator from Africa, are also covered in
patterns of spots. These seemingly random designs
are believed to be governed by mathematical
equations. According to a theory by Alan Turing, the
man famous for breaking the Enigma code World War
II, chemical reactions and diffusion processes in cells
determine these growth patterns.

The Sunflower

Looking at a sunflower up close, you’ll notice that there is a

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 maximizes their access to light and
necessary nutrients.

As we have seen in the previous sections, the human mind is hardwired to recognize patterns. In
mathematics, we can generate patterns by performing one or several mathematical operations
repeatedly. Suppose we choose the number 3 as the first number in our pattern. We then choose to
add 5 to our first number, resulting in 8, which is our second number. Repeating this process, we obtain
13,18, 23, 28,… as the succeeding numbers that form our pattern. In mathematics, we call these
ordered lists of numbers a sequence.

Sequence

A sequence is an ordered list of numbers, called terms, that may have repeated values. The
arrangement of these terms is set by a definite rule.

Generating as sequence

Analyze the given sequence for its rule and identify the next
three terms.
a. 1,10,100,1000, _______, ________, ________
b. 2,5, 9, 14, 20, ________, ________, ________

GEC4a- Mathematics in a Modern World with fundamentals of Accounting

 Module 1
Nature of Mathematics

Solution:
a. Looking at the set of numbers, it can be observed that each item is a power of
10; 1=10°, 10=101, 100=102… following this rule, the next three terms are:
104=10,000, 105=100,000 and 106= 1,000,000.
b. The difference between the first and second terms (2 and 5) is 3. The
difference between the second and third terms (5 and 9) is 4. The difference
between the third term and fourth terms (9 ad 14) is 5. The difference between
fourth and fifth terms (14 and 20) is 6. Following this rule, it can be deduced
that to obtain the next three terms, we should add 7,8,9 respectively to the
current term. Hence, the next three terms are 20+7= 27, 27+8= 35 and
35+9=44.
c.
d.

The sequence in Check your progress is a special sequence

Check your progress:
Analyze the given sequence
for its rule and identify the
next three terms.
1. 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, …
called the Fibonacci sequence. It is named after the Italian
mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, who was better known by his
nickname Fibonacci. He is said to have discovered this
sequence as he looked at how a hypothesized group of rabbits
and then finding out how many pairs of rabbits is born each
month bred and reproduced.

The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...
The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it:
• the 2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1),
• the 3 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+2),
• the 5 is (2+3),
• and so on!

Example: the next number in the sequence above is 21+34 = 55

It is that simple!
Here is a longer list:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, ...

Can you figure out the next few numbers?

GEC4a- Mathematics in a Modern World with fundamentals of Accounting

 Module 1
Nature of Mathematics

The Rule

The Fibonacci Sequence can be written as a "Rule".

First, the terms are numbered from 0 onwards like this:

So term number 6 is called x6 (which equals 8).

So, we can write the rule: The Rule is xn = xn−1 + xn−2

where:

• xn is term number "n"

• xn−1 is the previous term (n−1)
• xn−2 is the term before that (n−2)

GEC4a- Mathematics in a Modern World with fundamentals of Accounting

 Module 1
Nature of Mathematics

Some Interesting Things

Mathematics for our world

A lot of events happen around us. In the blink of an eye, several children have already been born, liters
of water been consumed or thousands of tweets have been posted. For us to make sense of all
available information, we need mathematical tools to help us make sound analysis and better
decisions.
Mathematics for Prediction

It is sometimes said that history repeat itself. As much as we can use mathematical
models using existing data to generate analysis and interpretations, we can also use them to
make predictions. Applying the concepts of probability, experts can calculate the chance of an
event occurring.
Mathematics for Control

We have demonstrated by means of example around us that patterns are definitely

present in the universe. These observations of nature, as well as their interactions and
relationships, could be more elegantly described by means of mathematical equations. It is
interesting then to ponder on how mathematics, an invention of the human mind, seems to
permeate the natural laws that hold the universe together.
Mathematics is Indispensable

In this chapter, it was highlighted how mathematics plays a huge role in the
underpinnings of our world. We have seen it n living creatures and natural phenomena. As
such, the study of mathematics should be embraced as it paves the way for more educated
decisions and in a way, brings us closer to understanding the natural world.

GEC4a- Mathematics in a Modern World with fundamentals of Accounting