PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN NATURE
Mathematics in the
Modern World
Prof. Oscar Bumanlag
October 15, 2021 – Nature of Mathematics
Lecture One
• sense of data or to bring order where there is
• disorder. It seeks to discover relationships and
• connections between seemingly unrelated bits
• of information. In doing so, it sees patterns.
OVERVIEW: WHAT IS MATHEMATICS?
Mathematics can be defined in many
ways. For some people, Mathematics is just the
study of numbers. For others, it is a set of
problem-solving tools, a language, a process
of thinking, and a study of patterns among
others. Whatever point of view is taken, there is
no denying the reality that mathematics is
everywhere. Individuals from around the world
use math in their daily lives. Mathematics has
various applications in the world. However,
Mathematics is not only concerned with
everyday problems, but also with using
imagination, intuition and reasoning to find
new ideas and to solve puzzling problems.
Mathematics is a branch of science,
which deals with numbers and their
operations. It involves calculation,
computation, solving of problems etc. Its
dictionary meaning states that, ‘Mathematics is
the science of numbers and space’ or
‘Mathematics is the science of measurement,
quantity and magnitude.’ It is exact, precise,
systematic and a logical subject.
Mathematics helps us to organize and
systemize our ideas about patterns; in so
doing, not only can we admire and enjoy these
patterns, we can also use them to infer some of
the underlying principles that govern the world
of nature.
What are patterns anyway? We usually
think of it as anything that repeats again and
again. A pattern is an arrangement which helps
observers anticipate what they might see or
what happens next. A pattern also shows what
may have come before. A pattern organizes
information so that it becomes more useful.
The human mind is programmed to make
According to the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics (1991) defines the
nature of mathematics as follows: Mathematics
is a study of patterns and relationship, a way of
thinking, an art, a language, and a tool. It is
about patterns and relationships. Numbers are
just a way to express those patterns and
relationships. Patterns
Patterns are everywhere. They are
deeply embedded all around us. You can
observe patterns- things like colors, shapes,
actions, line or curves of building, pathways or
even in the grocery store where boxes of
various items are lined up. Number patterns
such as 2,4,6,8 and 5,10,15,20 are among the
first patterns encountered in younger years.
As we advance, we encounter more
patterns and discover that number patterns are
not restricted to a few types. They could be
ascending, descending, multiples of a certain
number. We learned patterns through the
concept of functions and sequences like
arithmetic and geometric sequences. Number
patterns, logic patterns, geometric patterns
and word patterns are examples of the various
patterns we learned in school. However,
patterns are not limited to these types. One
can observe patterns in nature, art,
architecture, human behavior, anywhere. On
this section, we will discuss the different
patterns in nature, arts and architecture.
Patterns in nature are visible
regularities of form found in the natural world.
These patterns recur in different contexts and
can sometimes be modeled mathematically.
Natural patterns include symmetries, fractals,
spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tessellations,
cracks, and stripes.
Studying patterns allows one to watch,
guess, create, and discover. The present
mathematics is considerably more than
arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. The
method of doing it has advanced from simply
performing computations or derivations into
observing patterns, testing guesses, and
evaluating results.
Let us focus on the different types of
symmetric patterns, analyze and observe the
similarities as well as the differences and give
examples of these types of patterns as seen in
nature, arts, architecture and mathematics.
SYMMETRY
When we think of patterns, we usually
think of it as something that repeats again and
again. The math of symmetry can describe
what this repetition may look like and as well as
why some objects seem more orderly and
organized than others. That is why we can say
symmetry is the fundamental “language” of
patterns.
What is symmetry? Can you give
examples of objects that are symmetric? Why
do you consider them symmetric? Is it because
of balanced proportions? Or is it because you
can rotate, translate or reflect and they still look
the same?
Symmetry can be found everywhere. It
can be seen from different viewpoints namely;
nature, the arts and architecture, mathematics;
especially geometry and science. Symmetry
occurs when there is congruence in
dimensions, due proportions and
arrangement. It provides a sense of harmony
and balance. In fact, symmetry is one of the
foremost predominant themes in arts, design
and architecture all over the world and
throughout human history. Mathematical
symmetry can also be explained as the
passage of time, a spatial relationship and an
aesthetic element found within abstract
objects, theoretic models, language, music
and even knowledge itself.
REFLECTION OR BILATERAL SYMMETRY
Bilateral or reflection symmetry is the
simplest kind of symmetry. It is one of the most
common kinds of symmetry that we see in the
natural world. It can also be called mirror
symmetry because an object with this
symmetry looks unchanged if a mirror passes
through its middle. In other words, the objects
have a left side and a right side that are mirror
images of each other. If a shape can be folded
in half so that one half fits exactly on top of the
other, then we say that the shapes are
symmetric. The fold is called a line of symmetry
because it divides the shape into two equal
parts. Bilateral-symmetric objects have at least
one line or axis of symmetry. The lines of
symmetry may be in any direction.
RADIAL SYMMETRY
Radial symmetry is rotational
symmetry around a fixed point known as the
center. Images with more than one lines of
symmetry meeting at a common point exhibits
a radial symmetry. An equilateral triangle and
circles are examples. You can cut along three
different axes on the equilateral triangle while
a circle can be cut along an infinite number of
axes. Radial symmetry can be found both in
natural and human made objects.
Did you know that there are other
classifications of symmetric patterns? Patterns
in the plane are usually divided into three
groups. These are rosette patterns (those that
repeat in no direction), frieze patterns (those
that repeat in exactly one direction) and
wallpaper patterns (those that repeat in more
than one direction). Let us define, discuss and
identify examples of these patterns from
nature and the arts. Included in the discussion
is what we call tessellations which completely
cover a plane without gaps or overlaps, like
wallpaper patterns.
ROSETTE PATTERNS
Rosette patterns consist of taking motif
or an element and rotating and/or reflecting
that element. There are two types of rosette
patterns namely cyclic and dihedral. A rosette
pattern is cyclic if it only admits rotational
symmetries. On the other hand, a rosette
pattern is dihedral if it admits both rotational
symmetries and bilateral or reflectional
symmetries.
FRIEZE PATTERNS
A frieze or border pattern is a pattern
in which a basic motif repeats itself over and
over in one direction. It extends to the left and
right in a way that the pattern can be mapped
onto itself by a horizontal translation. We can
usually find these patterns in unique places like
on the walls of buildings, fabrics, borders of
rugs and tiled floor.
Mathematicians have already
classified all the different types of frieze
patterns. It turns out that there are only seven
types.
1. Hop. The frieze pattern only admits a
translational symmetry.
2. Step. The frieze pattern only admits a
translational and glide symmetries.
3. Sidle. The frieze pattern only admits
translations and vertical reflections.
4. Spinning Hop. The frieze pattern only
admits translations and 180◦ rotations
(half-turns).
5. Spinning Sidle. The frieze pattern only
admits translations, vertical reflections,
rotations, and glide reflections.
6. Jump. The frieze pattern only admits
translations, a horizontal reflection,
and glide reflection.
7. Spinning Jump. The frieze pattern
admits translations, vertical reflections,
horizontal reflections, rotations, and
glide reflections.
Mathematician John B. Conway invented
the names of these frieze patterns.
WALLPAPER PATTERNS
A wallpaper pattern is a pattern with
translation symmetry in two directions. It is,
therefore, essentially an arrangement of friezes
stacked upon one another to fill the entire
plane. Any particular wallpaper pattern is
made up of a combination of the following
symmetries; reflection, rotation and glide
reflection. According to Nocon (2016), in order
for a plane figure to be considered a wallpaper
pattern, it must have at least the basic unit, one
copy by translation, and a copy of these two by
translation in the second direction. There must
be at least two rows, each one of at least two
units long.
Beautiful patterns can be created by
repeating geometric and artistic motifs
according to the symmetry of the wallpaper
groups, as exemplified in works by M. C.
Escher and in the patterns created by I.
Bakshee in the Wolfram Language using
Artlandia, illustrated above. There are 17
different wallpaper patterns. Using intricate
techniques, mathematicians were able to
classify every wallpaper pattern possible. It is
shown that there are only 17 distinct types of
wallpaper patterns.
TESSELATIONS
A tessellation or tiling is a repeating
pattern of figures that covers a plane with no
gaps or overlaps. It is just like a wallpaper
group in which patterns are created by
repeating a shape to fill the plane.
 Tessellations can be created with
translations, rotations, and reflections.
Tessellations can be seen in nature, arts and
everyday life. Pavements, snake skin, turtle
shell and a honeycomb are just few of many
examples of tessellation we see around us. A
honeycomb is a perfect example of a natural
tessellation. It uses regular hexagons to form
this natural mosaic around the surface area of
the hive. Since these are regular hexagons,
each interior angle of each hexagon are 120
degrees, and all the angles in one of the
hexagons equal 720 degrees.
FIBONACCI SEQUENCE
The Fibonacci sequence was invented
by the Italian Leonardo Pisano Bigollo (1180-
1250), who is known in mathematical history by
several names: Leonardo of Pisa (Pisano
means “from Pisa”) and Fibonacci (which
means “son of Bonacci”).
To formally, define the Fibonacci
sequence, we start by defining F1 = 1 and F2
= 1. For n > 2, we define
Fn := Fn−1 + Fn−2.
The sequence F1, F2, F3, . . . is then the
Fibonacci sequence. Such a definition is called
a recursive definition because it starts by
defining some initial values and defines the
next term as a function of the previous terms.
If we take the ratio of Fn to Fn−1 for n ≥ 1,
We see that as n gets larger and larger,
the ratio gets closer and closer to a value
denoted by φ. The number φ is called as the
golden ratio and can be formally defined as
The symbol lim means ‘the limit as n
approaches infinity’ which is usually studied in
a calculus course. It can be calculated that the
exact value of φ is
This is known as the Binet Formula.
A rectangle whose side ratio
(length:width) equals φ is called a golden
rectangle.
George Dvorsky (2013) emphasized
that the Fibonacci sequence has captivated
mathematicians, scientists, artists and
designers for centuries. It is a sequence with
many interesting properties. Among these is
its visibility in nature. Most, if not all, natures
most beautiful patterns contain Fibonacci
numbers.
The Fibonacci numbers appear in
nature in various places. These numbers are
evident at the flower head of a sunflower or
daisy. Spirals are also easier to see and to
count on pineapples and pine cones.
Fibonacci numbers are there on broccoli
florets and flowers and on the arrangement of
leaves around stems on many plants too.
Pinecones, Speed Heads, Vegetables and
Fruits
Spiral patterns curving from left and
right can be seen at the array of seeds in the
center of a sunflower. The sum of these spirals
when counted will be a Fibonacci number. You
will get two consecutive Fibonacci numbers if
you divide the spirals into those pointed left
and right. The seed pods on a pinecone are
also arranged in a spiral pattern. Each cone
consists of a pair of spirals, each one spiraling
upwards in opposing directions. Spiral
patterns can also be deciphered in cauliflower
and pineapples. Fibonacci sequence appears
on these fruits and vegetables.
Flowers and Branches
Most flowers express the Fibonacci
sequence if you count the number of petals on
these flowers. For example, lilies and irises
have three petals, roses and buttercups have
five, delphiniums have eight petals and so on.
Some plants also exhibit the Fibonacci
sequence in their growth points, on the places
where tree branches form or split. A trunk
grows until it produces a branch, resulting in
two growth points. The main trunk then
produces another branch, resulting in three
growth points and then the trunk and the first
branch produce two more growth points,
bringing the total to five
Honeybees
The family tree of a honey bee
perfectly resembles the Fibonacci sequence. A
honeybee colony consists of a queen, a few
drones and lots of workers. The following
image below shows how the family tree relates.
The Human Body
The human body has many elements
that show the Fibonacci numbers and the
golden ratio. Most of your body parts follow
the Fibonacci sequence and the proportions
and measurements of the human body can
also be divided up in terms of the golden ratio.
Geography, Weather and Galaxies
Fibonacci numbers and the
relationships between these numbers are
evident in spiral galaxies, sea wave curves and
in the patterns of stream and drainages.
Weather patterns, such as hurricanes and
whirlpools sometimes closely resemble the
Golden Spiral. The milky way galaxy and some
other galaxies have spiral patterns. Planets of
our solar system and their orbital periods are
closely related to the golden ratio.
The Golden Ratio and/or the Golden
Spiral can also be observed in music, art, and
designs. Appearing in many architectural
structures, the presence of the golden ratio
provided a sense of balance and equilibrium.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
Architecture
The Great Pyramid of Giza: The Great
Pyramid of Giza built around 2560 BC is one of
the earliest examples of the use of the golden
ratio. The length of each side of the base is 756
feet, and the height is 481 feet. So, we can find
that the ratio of the vase to height is 756/481 =
1.5717.
The Greek sculptor Phidias sculpted
many things including the bands of sculpture
that run above the columns of the Parthenon.
Other architectural structures that exhibits the
Golden ratio include the ff: Porch of Maidens,
Acropolis, Athens; Chartres Cathedral; and Le
Corbussier.
Arts
Mona-Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci: It is
believed that Leonardo, as a mathematician
tried to incorporate of mathematics into art.
This painting seems to be made purposefully
line up with golden rectangle.
An Old man by Leonardo Da Vinci:
Leonardo Da Vinci explored the human body
involving in the ratios of the lengths of various
body parts. He called this ratio the ”divine pro-
portion” and featured it in many of his
paintings. We also have the The Vetruvian Man
(“The Man in Action”) by Leonardo Da Vinci;
Holy Family by Micahelangelo; Crucifixion by
Raphael; The sacrament of the Last Supper by
Salvador Dali (1904-1989), and many more.
MATHEMATICS FOR OUR WORLD
Mathematics is everywhere; whether it
is on land, sea or air, online or on the front line,
mathematics underpins every nook and cranny
of modern life. Far from a quaint subject to be
forgotten upon leaving school, it is the glue
that holds our world.
Roger Bacon (1214-1294), an English
Franciscan friar, philosopher, scientist and
scholar of the 13th century, once stated:
“Neglect of mathematics works injury to all
knowledge, since he who is ignorant of it
cannot know the other sciences or the things
of the world.”
 Math helps us understand or make
sense of the world - and we use the world to
understand math. It is therefore important that
we learn math contents needed to solve
complex problems in a complex world; learn
the mathematical knowledge and skills we
need to understand the world and make
contributions to the global community.
Application of Mathematics in Our World
Mathematics has so many uses of applications.
- Mathematics helps organize patterns
and regularities in the world;
- Mathematics helps predict the
behavior of nature and many
phenomena;
- Mathematics helps control nature and
occurrences in the world for our own
good;
- Mathematics has applications in many
human endeavors.
- Predicting the weather.
- MRI and Tomography
- Internet and Phones
- Epidemic Analysis
- Codes and Communication
- Finance and Banking
- Speech Recognition
- Robotics
Mathematics helps organize patterns and
regularities in the World
According to Ian Stewart (1995), we
live in a universe of patterns. Human mind and
culture have developed a formal system of
thought for recognizing, classifying and
understanding patterns. This formal system of
thought is what we know now as mathematics.
We use mathematics to organize and
systematize our thoughts and ideas about
patterns and other regularities in this world.
The development of these new mathematical
theories helped paved the way to the thorough
understanding of the different patterns in
nature.
Stewart (1995) also mentioned that our
newfound understanding of natural order and
nature’s secret regularities is being used to
steer artificial satellites to new destinations
with far less fuel than anybody had thought
possible, to help avoid wear on the wheels of
locomotives and other rolling stock, to
improve the effectiveness of heart
pacemakers, to manage forests and fisheries,
even to make more efficient dishwashers. But
most important of all, it is giving us a deeper
vision of the universe in which we live, and of
our own place in it. Yes, mathematics has
indeed helped organize patterns and
consistencies in the world.
Mathematics helps predict the behavior of
nature and many phenomena.
Mathematics is used to explain why the
Sun set, where it went and why it returned
because it was easier to count these events in
numbers than to put them into words. Based
on historical patterns, we can make forecasts or
predictions to help us prepare for our daily
activities. Formulas and other mathematical
methods became a way of using numbers to
show how things in nature happen, where and
when it will happen.
Earth scientists have relied in the past
on statistical methods to forecast natural
hazard events. However, Benoit Mandelbrot, a
professor of mathematical sciences at Yale
University described how he has been using
fractals to find order within complex systems in
nature, such as the natural shape of a coastline.
As a result of his research, earth scientists are
taking Mandelbrot’s fractal approach one step
further and are measuring past events and
making probability forecasts about the size,
location, and timing of future natural disasters.
Mathematics helps control nature and
occurrences in the world for our own good.
Mathematical modelling and control
theory can be used. By mathematical
modeling we see the inputs to events and their
most likely outcomes. Knowing these inputs
and seeing their consequences and
establishing their relationship defined
quantitatively, we can prepare for calamities or
natural disasters, or better yet, we can
probably stop them from happening.
 Control theory is defined as a field of complex acrobatic stance; determining speed
applied mathematics that is relevant to the in a short distance or marathon run, preparing
control of certain physical processes and chemical solutions in a biological or chemical
systems. As long as human culture has existed, laboratory and the like. Indeed, its application
control has meant some kind of power over the and use are uncountable and the list of uses it
environment and control theory may be offers is unending.
viewed as the science of modifying that
environment, in the physical, biological, or As it is valuable and integral in the life
even social sense. Control theory played a of man, mathematics as a discipline that
major role in many technological advances in Introduces students with the wide array of
the second half of the 20th century. possibilities from honing problem-solving
skills to enriching aesthetic judgment.
Mathematics has applications in many human
endeavors making it indispensable.
Mathematics existed since the
beginning of time, written or unwritten. Its
unwritten history is carved in all things found in
cosmos , found in the patterns created in
nature, appreciated in the juxtaposition of the
heavens and the earth, contrast between
darkness and light , made sense in the
harmony created not just by a well-known
orchestra but even by the rain drops falling on
offshore wind-turbines. Its language, though
considered by many as abstract is in fact easy
to grasp when the logic and formula that
govern it are understood by the inquisitive
minds of students, bakers, chemists,
carpenters and appreciated by the receptive
hearts of the musicians - drummers, guitarists,
pianists and composers; dance
choreographers, gymnasts and marathon
runners.

Mathematics permeates every area of

man’s life, leaving every man convinced of its
value. As a tool, mathematics is indispensable.
It is needed by all people in honing their
logical thinking and reasoning, in making wise
financial decisions - in budgeting or making
both ends meet when financial resources are
scarce. It is needed in choosing the best
interior and outdoor designs of houses, offices
and business sites. It is useful in determining
traveling time and calculating the amount of
fuel needed to get to the destination. It is not
just needed in the classrooms but also at home
when doing the mundane baking or preparing
foods for breakfast, dinner or lunch;
calculating steps when performing simple to