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LEARNING OBJECTIVE
By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:
1. Define Mathematics and express its importance in one’s life.
2. Develop a curiosity and enjoyment of mathematics and appreciate its elegance and power.
3. Recognize and identify the occurrence of Fibonacci sequence in nature.
4. Recognize patterns in nature and regularities in the world and become more aware of the
natural beauty that surrounds them.
5. Express appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor.
TOPICS
I. Brief introduction about Mathematics
II. Patterns and Numbers in Nature
III. Mathematics and the Real World
I. MATHEMATICS
Abstraction
Abstraction
This chapter is dedicated to nature of mathematics, patterns and numbers in nature and the
world and the uses of mathematics.
What is Mathematics?
Is it Arithmetic?
Is it the study of numbers?
Is it just a body of formulas and rules for solving equations?
A useless obstacle course in school?
“Many people consider Mathematics to be a boring and formal Science. But any good work
in Mathematics always has in it: Beauty, Simplicity, Structure, Imagination, Crazy ideas, just
like Music and Poetry.”
• 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’.
Whatever point of view is taken, there is no denying the reality that mathematics is
everywhere. It has various applications in the world as individuals from around the world use math
in their daily lives.
Mathematics is a useful way to think about nature and our world. It is not confined in
classroom. We live in a world of mathematical patterns.
Mathematics helps us to organize and systemize our ideas about patterns that it can also be
used to infer some of the underlying principles that govern the world of nature.
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, flow, tiling, spots, trees
and stripes.
They are sequences or designs that are orderly and that repeat, anything that is not random.
Mathematics, physics, and chemistry can explain patterns in nature at different levels.
Patterns in living things express the underlying biological processes. Studies of pattern formation
make use of computer models to simulate a wide range of patterns.
Symmetries
Classification of Symmetry
1. Bilateral (mirror) symmetry is a symmetrical with respect to its reflection. This means that you
can make an axis of symmetry straight down the center.
2. Radial symmetry is also called rotational symmetry where similar parts are regularly arranged
around a central axis and the pattern looks the same after certain amount of rotation. It can either
be cyclic or dihedral. Flowers most often exhibit this type of symmetry.
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Starfish exhibit radial symmetry, with Gumamela has radial symmetry, it can be divided
multiple planes of symmetry radiating from a into 3 or more identical sectors which are related to
central point. each other by rotation about the center of the flower.
3.Translational symmetry, such as repeating tile or wallpaper patterns, means that a particular
translation of an object to another location does not change its pattern.
Banaras silk saree is an Indian Saree Fabric- Hexagonal wood floor tiles, as an example of
Magenta brocade Silk, has a beautiful translation translation symmetry pattern.
symmetry design.
4. Scale symmetry means that if an object is expanded or reduced in size, the new object has the
same properties as the original. This self-similarity is seen in many natural structures such as
cumulus clouds, lightning, ferns and coastlines, over a wide range of scales. Fractals also has this
property of self-similarity.
Cumulus clouds are a convective low level cloud Boracay coastlines, one of the most visited
type composed of liquid droplets and form in an beaches in the Philippines and the pride of Filipinos.
unstable, or conditionally unstable atmosphere. Coastlines are examples of scale symmetry.
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5. Time symmetry or time translation symmetry is periodic behavior which involves changes in
time. For instance, the period of the Earth’s orbit is one year, and its frequency is one orbit per year.
A tuning fork might have a frequency of 1,000 cycles per second and a period of 1 millisecond (1
thousandth of a second), regular shift between dry and wet seasons in many areas of the world, A
Ferris wheel repeats which completes its revolution or one cycle every 30minutes, and so we say it
has a period of 30 minutes.
A time frame that repeats, typically on a predictable The Rotation of the earth around its axis is from west to
routine, like the clock that goes around and around east with its axis that is tilted at an angle of 23 ½ °, and
and around infinitely, always coming back to the because of this tilt, the northern and southern hemispheres
same numbers it began with. lean in the direction away from the sun. The consequences,
the rotation of the earth divides it into a lit-up half and a dark
half, which gives rise to day and night.
Sunflower exhibits radial symmetry and The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble
numerical symmetry which is called as mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna
Fibonacci sequence. in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, a perfect example
of a structure with bilateral symmetry.
Some scientists theorize that the orb webs are Acacia tree, a large tree that looks like a collection of
built for strength, and the radial symmetry helps many smaller trees of various sizes. The repetition of
to evenly distribute the force of impact when prey branching that forms the tree also generates the tree's
hits the web, resulting in less rips in the thread. self-similarity, is called scaling symmetry.
FRACTALS
In mathematics, fractal is any class of complex geometric shapes that commonly have
fractional dimension. It derived from Latin word fractus which means fragmented of broken. It is
described as a self-similar object; one whose component parts resemble the whole and remains
invariant under changes of scale or the reduced size copy of the whole. It has scaling symmetry.
Fractal-like patterns occur widely in nature, in phenomena as diverse as clouds, river
networks, geologic fault lines, mountains, coastlines, animal coloration, snowflakes, crystals, blood
vessel branching, lightning, ferns and ocean waves.
The fern is one of many flora that are fractal; Lightning’s terrifying power is both awesome
it’s an especially good example. and beautiful. The fractals created by lightning
are fascinatingly arbitrary and irregular.
Both chemically formed crystals, ice and frost crystals are breathtaking examples of fractals in
nature.
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From the macro view of a leaf to the span of a tree’s branches, fractals turn up frequently.
TESSELLATIONS
A Tessellation (or Tiling) is when we cover a surface with a pattern of flat shapes so that
there are no overlaps or gaps. A pattern of shapes that fit perfectly together.
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an
ancient volcanic fissure eruption, located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about
three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills. It is a tessellation in nature.
SPIRALS
Spiral is a plane curve that, in general, winds around a point while moving even father from
that point.
Examples of spirals are pinecones, pineapples, hurricanes, spiral staircases. A spiral shape
cause plants to condense themselves while trying to grow and not take up much space, causing it
to be stronger, more durable against element and secured.
Beauty comes in all forms in the animal world. Stripes, patterns, bands, dots, colors, and Spots!
Nature has bestowed some animals with its precious marks in the form of bold but beautiful patterns,
and course spots. Various hypotheses have been suggested to provide a reason as to why some
animals have spots on their bodies. Whether it is to repel insects, to provide camouflage or optical
illusion, to confuse predators, to reduce body temperature, for mating purposes or to help
the animals recognize each other- spots have always been an interesting and attractive feature of
animals.
Zebras are fascinating animals, in large part The leopard, one of the “big cats” living in the
because of their beautiful coats. Their stripes world today is found across parts of Asia and
are as unique as our fingerprints, so no two a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa. Its fur is
zebras share the same stripe pattern. marked with spots called rosettes. They are
jagged black circles resembling roses that are
smaller and grouped closer together.
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Dalmatians are the medium-sized dogs popular for Chital or spotted deer is also known as the axis
their unique black-spotted white coat, which may deer. The species has a golden brown body with
either black or brown in colour, that even inside their white spots mostly located on the upper part of
mouth have spots. the body.
A soap bubble forms a sphere, a surface with minimal area — the smallest possible surface area
for the volume enclosed. Soap bubbles are physical examples of the complex mathematical problem
of minimal surface. They will assume the shape of least surface area possible containing a given
volume.
A foam is a mass of bubbles; foams of different materials occur in nature. Foams composed of
soap films obey Plateau’s laws, a law that describes the structures formed by films in foams.
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Waves are disturbances that carry energy as they move. Mechanical waves propagate through a
medium – air or water, making it oscillate as they pass by. Waves can be observed everywhere, in
music with sound waves, in light with light waves and more.
Wind waves (swells) are sea or ocean surface waves that create the characteristic chaotic pattern
of any large body of water, though their statistical behavior can be predicted with wind wave models.
Bigger waves can occur when two tectonic plates rub together and transfer energy to the water.
As waves in water or wind pass over sand, they create patterns of ripples.
A Sand Dune is formed when winds blow over large bodies of sand, usually found in a desert or on
top of a beach. Dunes may form a range of patterns including crescents, very long straight lines,
stars, domes, parabolas, and longitudinal or Seif (‘sword’) shapes.
More interesting patterns in nature are rosette patterns, frieze pattern, cracks, and
meanders.
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One of the mathematical problems Fibonacci investigated in Liber Abaci was about how fast rabbits
could breed in ideal circumstances.
Suppose a newly born pair of rabbits, one male, 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 no rabbits will die, and that female rabbit always produces one new
pair (one male, one female) every month from the second month on. The puzzle that Fibonacci
posed was... How many pairs will there be in one year?
ILLUSTRATION:
So, by the end of November (12TH MONTH), there will be __________ pairs of rabbits.
Suggestion: Watch video from www.youtube.com, Math Dude 016 Video Extra! The Fibonacci
Sequence …and the Rabbits!
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Findings:
• The resulting number sequence 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, … (Fibonacci himself omitted
0 and 1), in which each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, is the first
recursive number sequence known in Europe. The sequence is infinite.
• Though real rabbits don't breed as Fibonacci hypothesized, but his sequence still appears
frequently in nature.
• The Fibonacci sequence is all about growth; It is a very simple way of generating growth
quickly and explains why the Fibonacci numbers appear in nature so often. The sequence
is applicable to the growth of all living things, from a single plant cell to a honeybee’s family
tree.
• The rule for generating the Fibonacci numbers: add the last two to get the next or each
number in the sequence is the sum of the two numbers that precede it, express in simple
formula stated below by French born Mathematician Albert Girard in 1634.
where F0 = 0 and F1 = 1
• In the 19th century, French mathematician Edouard Lucas coined the term Fibonacci
sequence and scientists began to discover such sequences in nature; for example, in the
spirals of sunflower heads, in pinecones, in the regular descent (genealogy) of the male bee,
in the related logarithmic (equiangular) spiral in snail shells, in the arrangement of leaf buds
on a stem, and in animal horns.
• It's been called "nature's secret code," and "nature's universal rule." It is said to govern the
dimensions of everything from the Great Pyramid at Giza, to the iconic seashell that likely
graced the cover of your school math textbook.
SUNFLOWERS
The red lines show 34 spirals of Choosing another slope, the green
seeds lines show 55 spirals of seeds.
The number on the diagonals of Pascal’s triangle add to the Fibonacci series
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FIBONACCI SPIRAL
Fibonacci is even connected to the shape of Spiral aloe. Numerous cactuses display the
Chicken egg Fibonacci spiral, where each set of leaves spiral
outward.
Fingerprints have a distinct Fibonacci spiral. A hurricane displays a logarithmic spiral, one
that gets smaller as it goes. Fibonacci Spiral.
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• The Golden Ratio is a mathematical ratio, approximately 1.618:1, renowned for its
aesthetic appeal. It’s a principle that appears throughout nature and art, suggesting
an inherent balance that the human eye perceives as beautiful, commonly employed
in design, architecture, and art to create visually harmonious compositions.
• It has been the root of countless mysteries over the centuries. Now, an engineer has
found it to be a compelling springboard to unify vision, thought and movement under
a single law of nature's design.
• The Golden Ratio is also called the golden section, golden mean, golden number, divine
proportion, divine section, and golden proportion.
• The Fibonacci sequence is also closely related to a famous number called the golden ratio.
It was noted by mathematician Robert Simson in 1753 that as the numbers increased in
magnitude the ratio between succeeding numbers approached the number called golden
1+√5
ratio, 𝝋 (phi) in which value is 1.618034…, ( 2
).
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Leonardo-
da-Vincis-Mona-Lisa-and-Golden-Ratio-
Source-Huntley-EH-1970_fig2_364771454
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Math begins as abstractions, mental playthings, but turns out to be useful in the real world.
✓ Math and the human heart. Mathematical models of the heart help in the
design and implementation of artificial valves.
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thatsmath.com
www.pictorem.com
www.pixel-crration.com
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✓ Prime numbers and internet security. The study of the prime numbers 2, 3, 5,
7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, ... is important for computer security!
www.cbc.ca
www.702.co.za
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✓ Google uses mathematics for many other of its services: finding directions in
Maps spam detection in Gmail voice recognition on Android text recognition
when scanning books compressing YouTube videos detecting faces in images
or translating text.
Source: https://mathigon.org/applications
It provides a way of viewing and making sense of the world. It is used to analyze and
communicate information and ideas to address a wide range of practical tasks and real-life problems.
Human culture has developed a formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying, and
making sense of patterns. We call it Mathematics. It is one of the greatest human accomplishments.
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“Good mathematics must be both beautiful and serious. Its beauty is derived from its
precision, elegance of its results and proofs, and patterns … which, like the painter's or the
poet's … is capable of stirring emotions...”
ACTIVITIES TO DO AT HOME:
1. Video watching:
a. Science Documentary 2016: The Math Mystery Mathematics in Nature and Universe.
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl1N7i5ra7Y
b. Watch in You tube “The Story of Math. The Language of the Universe”
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7t6f4t
2. After watching the above videos, assignment no. 1 shall be posted in the MS Teams where your
answers and reactions shall be encoded and recorded.
You will be asked to make your reaction/reflection by considering the following statements:
BOOKS
Angel, Abbott, Runde. Survey of Mathematics with Applications. 10ed. Pearson. 2016
Thomas, Christopher, Schaum’s Outline of Mathematics for the Liberal Arts. McGraw Hill. 2009
Nocon, Rizaldi, Nocon, Ederlina, Essential of Mathematics for the Modern World
Balmaceda, Jose Maria P., Nemenzo Fidel R., Roque, Marian P., Lecture notes, History and Development of
Mathematics, Math 208, Institute of Mathematics, University of the Philippines
ONLINE REFERENCES
https://www.mathsisfun.commathematicalenquiries.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-prime-numbers-create-
online-banking.html
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-chart-reader-who-called-this-stock-market-sello-says-its-not-over-
yet-2018-02-07
http://www.earthtimes.org/climate/use-biodiversity-combat-climate-change/2748/
http://www.google.com
http://mathworld.wolfram.com
https://www.coursehero.com/file/67488732/Mathematics-in-the-Modern-World28pdf/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taklamakan_Desert#/media/File:Taklamakan_desert.jpg
https://animaldestination.blogspot.com/2011/06/kuhol.html
https://www.momtastic.com/webecoist/2008/09/07/17-amazing-examples-of-fractals-in-nature/
https://www.fi.edu/sites/default/files/General_Fractals_1280_720.gif
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zpn6n39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmstuIy4zqU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_Friesian_cattle
https://www.fi.edu/sites/default/files/General_Voronoi_1280_720.gif
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessellation#/media/File:Ceramic_Tile_Tessellations_in_Marrakech.jpg
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/holstein-
friesian-cattle
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/mystique-mathematics-5-beautiful-maths-phenomena
https://www.math.uci.edu/~mzeman/M13-19F/math-13-notes.pdf
Instructional Materials
DMS Faculty. Instructional Materials in GEED 10053 (Mathematics in the Modern World for STEM Strand). PUP Printing Press. 2020
DMS Faculty. Instructional Materials in GEED 10053 (Mathematics in the Modern World for Non-STEM Strand). PUP Printing Press.
2020
Video Materials
Science Documentary. (2016, Jan 8). Science Documentary 2016: The Math Mystery Mathematics in
Nature and Universe. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl1N7i5ra7Y
The Guardian. (2013, July 9). Painted with numbers: mathematical patterns in nature. [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7x3LBWn-Ao
Andrew the Arborist. (2016, May 9). Patterns in Nature – Symmetry, Fractals & Geometry. [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mfl2QbSMYY
TED. (2013, Nov 9). The magic of Fibonacci Numbers | Arthur Benjamin. [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjSHVDfXHQ4
Be Smart. (2021, Mar 11). The Golden Ratio: Is it Myth or Math?. [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jj-sJ78O6M
Srivathsa Joshi. (2015, May 3). Mathematics is the queen of Sciences. [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mve0UoSxTo&list=PLRxEhF7If641_4Slm_A30DK8STmSnle01
Scrivial. (2015, Oct 15). Documentary : Top 10 equations that changed the world. [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K-t090uvL4&list=PLRxEhF7If641_4Slm_A30DK8STmSnle01&index=2
Mahid Mangotarum. (2020, Oct). GEC 104 Video Lectures - Mathematics in the Modern World. [Video]
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUsAqCDZXl2PXgoQvIyc2ujbF_KUwyK-G